Date-stamped : 24 Jul96 - 02:18 Tour Match Somerset v South Africa 'A' Taunton 20,21,22 July 1996 ====> REPORT (Day 1, 20 Jul 1996) Lathwell toil pays off Bryon Butler at Taunton Somerset v South Africa A SOUTH AFRICA A became the only side to invite Somerset to bat first at Taunton this summer and the reward for their bravado was a day of sweat and toil. The perseverance of the tourists, however, meant Somerset`s score did not become embarrassing as well. The Quantock Hills were near and clear in the summer heat and, on such days, bowlers cannot count on help or compassion. Admitted- ly there was bounce in the wicket, but its pace was con- sistent and the outfield was cruelly quick. South Africa`s cause was not helped, either, by the loss be- fore lunch of two of their assault battery. Roger Telemachus left the field with a strained left side and was followed by Jacques Kallis with back spasms. There was a moment, briefly, when South Africa might have thought they had got it right. Peter Bowler, Somerset`s acting captain in place of the injured Andy Hayhurst, was bowled for one, with the total at 12, by Telemachus. Somerset were 137 when the next wicket fell, however, and by then Mark Lathwell was well on his way to his first century of the season. He and Keith Parsons put on 125 in 38 overs for the second wicket - with Parsons, timing and placing the ball well, the dominant partner before he was caught at slip, via the `keeper, for 62 (127 balls, 13 fours). Lathwell was dropped behind when 41, but he made few other er- rors in an innings of varying tempo. He hit the first ball of the day and the first of the afternoon for four, and there was a six and 16 fours in his hundred. But, in between wristy accumulation, there were periods of greyish circumspection. The weakened South African attack never let things get out of hand. Lance Klusener, whom Somerset considered signing, got the ball to bounce awkwardly at least once in most of his overs and Nicky Boje bowled his slow left-arm spin with nagging accuracy and variation from the River End. Boje bowled a spell of 22 overs to take three for 55, claiming Parsons` wicket and then those of Marcus Trescothick and Simon Ecclestone. Trescothick, on a country walk towards the Quan- tocks, was stumped and Ecclestone was then quite brilliantly caught by Nic Pothas, low to his left, at extra cover. Lathwell proceeded to speed through the eighties with a straight six and a square cut for four in one over from Boje - but the South African fielding, like their bowling, was always mightily competitive. It was Lathwell`s day, however. His form has been indifferent but he worked hard for this hundred. ====> REPORT (Day 2, 21 Jul 1996) Tour Match: S Africa batter the boundary By Bryon Butler at Taunton Second day of three: Somerset (301 & 42-0) trail South Africa A (509-7 dec) by 166 runs DEREK CROOKES, son of off-spinner Norman Crookes who toured Eng- land in 1965, scored his second buccaneering century in five days as South Africa made hay on a day when it seemed infinitely easier to whack the boundary boards than run a single. Crookes took only 77 balls to score his hundred against Glamorgan at Cardiff last Wednesday, but although this one re- quired 30 balls more it was still a painful exercise for a plain and perspiring Somerset attack. Somerset`s most successful bowlers were Andy Caddick and off- spinner Jeremy Batty, who took two wickets each and bowled 58 overs between them for 274 runs. South Africa declared with a lead of 208 but, despite let- ting rip with a few appeals, they were still milked comfort- ably for 42 runs in their six final overs. Crookes, at 27 one of the tourists` senior fig-ures, pulled his first ball for six and went on to hit 23 fours in his 155 not out. He was dropped at slip when 47 but there was no other real blemish in his innings. His judgment of length was unerring and his range of shot sent the ball to every corner of a parched field. Nicky Boje was, if anything, even more severe with 82 (19 fours, two sixes) of his 89 coming in boundaries. There was other help, too. John Commins made 73, twice lifting Batty to leg for six, Steve Palframan hit 55 from 40 balls and Jacques Kallis, Nic Pothas and Sven Koenig were busy fig- ures. It may be doubted if the wicket has a victory for either side in its stony heart. Runs again looked cheapened currency in the final half-hour as Mark Lathwell and Marcus Trescothick re- duced Somerset`s deficit. South African seam bowler Roger Telemachus, who suffered a severe side strain on Saturday, will fly home today after un- dergoing orthopaedic tests. ====> REPORT (Day 3, 22 Jul 1996) Somerset bloom thanks to Rose By Bryon Butler at Taunton Somerset (301 & 309-8 dec) drew with South Africa A (509-7 dec) SOMERSET allowed South Africa a teasing glimpse of victory before stiffening their upper lip. Their survival might have had some- thing to do with the strains, sprains and spasms which cost the tourists the services of three of their four quick bowlers. Somerset were 91 for none soon after noon, needing 208 to avoid an innings defeat, but they then subsided to 163 for six - at which point South Africa lost Greg Smith, who had briskly taken three wickets, with a groin strain. Roger Telemachus (strained side) and Jacques Kallis (back spasm) had been out of action since the first morning, and South Africa`s manpower plight was further emphasised by the fact that Smith`s substitute in the field was their fit- ness expert, Paddy Upton. South Africa were thus reduced to three regular bowlers, Lance Klusener and spinners Nicky Boje and Derek Crookes. Somerset, reassured, hopped happily off the hook. They still needed 45 to avoid the follow on when Graham Rose and Jason Kerr came togeth- er. Neither had managed a decent innings all season. They put on 123 in 27 overs, however, with stylish bravado. Both reached their first fifties of the summer - Rose finishing with 64 not out (119 balls, 11 fours) and Kerr making 56 (71 balls, nine fours and a six) before he was caught and bowled by Her- schelle Gibbs. Jeremy Batty came and went in the same Gibbs over and, for a few minutes, South Africa had another glimpse of victory. But Andy Caddick helped Rose stretch Somerset`s lead beyond the 100 with only 11 overs left. Enough was enough. Marcus Trescothick (55) and Mark Lathwell (32) had given Somerset a positive start, and Peter Bowler made 32, but the middle- order made indifferent use of the middle of their bats. Three fell to touches or tickles. The injured Telemachus returned to South Africa last night and his place is to be taken by Gary Gilder, a 22-year-old left- arm quick bowler from Natal. Source :: Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by Shash (shs2@*.cwru.edu)