Date-stamped : 03 Jun97 - 06:16 Curtis suited by steady pace By Peter Roebuck at Worcester First day of four: Worcestershire 270-6 v Somerset A SOMNAMBULANT day in Worcester ended in favour of the locals. An implacable innings from Tim Curtis ensured that the opportunity to bat first on a somewhat uneven and wearing pitch was not wasted. Somerset`s pace men bowled well without ever suggesting that a collapse was imminent. Presented with the broadest of bats, they could not break through. No demons disturbed Curtis as he moved along at an even tempo. Others may toot their horns or screech their brakes, but he simply drives along in the middle lane and reaches his destination at his own pace. Not for the first time, Curtis depended upon his watchfulness in defence and periodic punches square of the wicket. He lasted six hours and it took a probing delivery from Graham Rose to remove him. Various partners kept the schoolmaster company during the day. Phillip Weston came first, a tall left-hander whose alert footwork promised improved form until he nibbled at Rose and was neatly taken at second slip. Graeme Hick appeared next, a man trying to rouse himself. A couple of sumptuous strokes followed and then a top-edged pull that Mark Lathwell was pleased to clutch at square leg. Having scored around 400 runs fewer than his usual allotment against these opponents, Hick repaired to the nets to work upon his fluency. Reuben Spiring played some crisp strokes until he drove to cover in Michael Burns`s opening over. Worcestershire were 101 for three and Somerset were smiling. Soon they were sweating as Curtis continued and Gavin Haynes played wristy strokes square of the wicket. Somerset did not droop. Caddick bowled splendidly and his partners in pace were unstinting. Evening brought its reward as Haynes drove loosely, Curtis edged to slip and Leatherdale fell as a second new ball kept low. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Leatherdale conjures magic spell By Peter Roebuck at Worcester Second day of four: Somerset (256-8) trail Worcs (303) by 47 runs A slow-moving day ended with the locals on top. Somerset began brightly as Andrew Caddick rattled through the home tail, and they finished strongly as Graham Rose, a candi- date for the forthcoming Test, played some booming drives and Robert Turner collected intelligently. Between times, Worcester- shire`s per- sistent pacemen gave their team an edge. Caddick`s bowling was the highlight, a searing spell that brought three victims in six overs. Wickets fell to bumpers and outswingers as Worcestershire fell short of their as- pirations on a grudging pitch. In reply, Somerset pottered towards prosperity against accu- rate swing bowling from Phil Newport and Alangir Sheriyar. Having survived the new ball, Somerset openers fell during Stuart Lampitt`s deserving first spell. Peter Bowler edged to slip and Mark Lathwell was beaten as he pushed forward. Now came the first of two surprising interventions from David Leatherdale. Pulling rabbits from his hat, he beat Richard Harden`s forward defence and enticed Michael Burns into an in- discreet drive. At last Piran Holloway`s enterprising innings ended as he drove and was smartly caught. Somerset`s low-order surge was cut short as Leatherdale pro- duced further rabbits, Rose and Mat Dimond edging into the slips. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Somerset spirits rise as demons drive out Hick By Peter Roebuck at Worcester Third day of four: Somerset (343) trail Worcs (303 & 186-4) by 146 runs IT is part of cricket`s terror that personal battles must be fought in public. Graeme Hick has been having a hard time of it. He seems permanently nonplussed. No longer does he walk to the crease as a champion; he is frail humanity, a man whose flaws have been revealed in the hurly-burly, a man shaken to dis- cover that the old sim- plicities are not enough. Upon arriving in England, he had expected to find darkness stalking the streets, instead he found it upon the field. He had become a muted figure, all passion spent. Determined to prove otherwise, Hick marched to the crease at the fall of Tim Curtis, a batsman in pursuit of eternity rather than immortality. Immediately, Hick began moving fiercely, pulling Kevin Shine for four and six, menace in his step, and hurriedly brought together their leading bowlers, Andrew Caddick and Mushtaq Ahmed. Growing respectful, Hick defend- ed, still apparently untrou- bled. And then it came, a push forward, an appeal from Caddick, in his eighth over of a long spell, and a raised finger from Harold Bird. Hick had failed again. Runs had not seemed far away. Meanwhile, Somerset celebrate. Reuben Spiring almost failed next ball as the locals spluttered to 40 for two, the very lead Somerset had secured earlier in the day. For a time, batting was hard. Run- ning in more aggressively than previously, Caddick was formidable. England can count themselves fortunate that their three leading pacemen are simultaneously in form. Graham Rose took his turn, another player close to Test selec- tion judging by the interest shown in him on Friday evening. Rose has matured into a staunch cricketer, capable of swinging the ball and scoring sturdy runs. The selectors will ponder upon the depth of his current confidence. Notwithstanding Hick`s dismissal and some testing bowling, but helped by a tedious pitch, Worcester`s young batsmen fought back. Phillip Weston and Spiring used their height to stifle Mushtaq`s spin and to punish his errors. The champagne is flat with Mushy just now, the bubble has gone. Accordingly, the batsmen were able to advance with stylish strokes against an attack trying to extract blood from a stone. Weston has also been fighting for runs, in his case to save a career and to justify a choice made when he declined the chance to go to university. Perhaps it is easier for youngsters to recover themselves. Mark Taylor and Seve Ballesteros seem to have been down in the dumps for months, quite unable to recapture the inner spirit that took them to the top. Having scaled the heights, they have fallen low and are hurt- ing. Weston knows he has time on his side and soon he was batting fluently. Somerset`s fieldsman did not flag and Mark Lathwell, still re- sembling an embarrassed hamster, was particularly athletic as the game moved along amid occasional boundaries and frequent appeals from Pakistan`s leg-spinner. Earlier, Somerset had batted slowly and doughtily against an attack weakened by injury to Phil Newport. Only Alamgir Sheriyar, who might be charging at the guns of Cawnpore as he bounds in to bowl lively left-arm seamers, provided any variety in an at- tack unduly re- liant upon orthodox medium pace. Robert Turner drove firmly and found no special difficulty in keeping his wicket intact from dawn un- til the last wicket fell at lunchtime. Nor were his tail-end partners inconvenienced. Bunnies are few and far between these days, and neither Caddick nor Shine is among their number. Both stepped forward and drove forcefully as Somerset took the lead towards the end of a long and uninspired innings. And the Worcestershire innings began, and the struggle resumed. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Somerset end chase after early gallop By Peter Roebuck at Worcester Worcs (303 & 316-7 dec) drew with Somerset (343 & 185-5) TIMID tactics from Somerset denied this match the close finish it scarcely deserved. Invited to chase 277 in 55 overs they gal- loped to 82 for one in 12 overs whereupon they lost three wickets in 11 balls and immediately abandoned all hope of victory. Considering the modesty of the attack and the presence of ac- complished batsmen at the crease and in the pavilion it seemed an unambi- tious decision. Presumably Somerset`s recent defeats have affected their con- fidence. As it was, Peter Bowler and Piran Holloway batted com- fortably until the match went unmourned to its grave. By bolting from the gates with such gusto, Somerset had promised something better. Ignoring the early loss of Michael Burns to a notably indiscreet strike, and helped by some over- enthusias- tic bowling and field placings, the visitors rattled along at sev- en an over, with Robert Turner driving belligerent- ly and Mark Lath- well collecting capably. Turner belted 47 runs in 33 balls and appeared to set the scene for a rousing finish. Then Lathwell was beaten by a leg- cutter and Turner by a ball that crept unkindly. Next Graham Rose, rashly promoted, edged to slip. The guts had been torn from Somerset`s innings. After tea, Somerset settled for a draw, a task they easily accom- plished despite losing Richard Harden to a superb swinger from David Leatherdale. No further wickets fell, though Holloway was missed at slip off Vikram Solanki`s amiable spin. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)