By Stephen Thorpe at Taunton
First day of four: Somerset (33-1) trail Worcs (224) by 191 runs
HELL hath no fury like a bowler scorned, as Worcestershire found to their cost when Andy Caddick forged ahead as the leading wicket-taker in the country. A season's-best eight for 64, leaving him with 88 champion- ship victims, was his eighth haul of five wickets or more and sent a searing message of intent to the Test selectors and a slap in the face to all his other detractors. And there are many.
If the affair with England is temporarily in abeyance, Caddick is at the peak of his powers and desperately disappointed. In many ways he is the bowling clone of another discard, Graeme Hick, with foreign ancestry, a huge physical presence, a flawed temperament and unfulfilled talent.
Perceived as a poor tourist on his first Caribbean trip five years ago, and occasionally off-handedly arrogant, he is more pertinently deemed to have let the side down several times when conditions were entirely in his favour.
That said, he was the leading wicket-taker against Australia last year with 24 and remains on course to become the first Somerset man to take 100 championship wickets since Tom Cartwright in 1971.
That Caddick should take another stack of wickets in response to the Ashes announcement was entirely predictable. 'Twas ever thus.
Caddick took full advantage of the extra moisture afforded by overnight rain and an early start, having Phil Weston smartly held at slip by Marcus Trescothick. The same fielder then accepted a far easier offering from Abdul Hafeez. The official tour party announcement came seconds later as Caddick ambled back to fine leg, head bowed, slapping his thigh in frustration.
A tale of two nearly men, then, as the curtain falls on a rather lacklustre season at Taunton. Small consolation perhaps, but Hick has assumed the captaincy after Tom Moody's early departure, and he was evidently bent on making his own point, taking an hour and 44 balls to get off the mark. He has fond memories of this sward, naturally, after the record 405 not out a decade ago, but Richard Harden soon missed him at slip during a circumspect start.
Vikram Solanki had a strange morning, too, highlighted as joint leader in duck-making this season but then hearing of his A-team selection. He kept Hick company, though, in restoring the innings until Caddick saw off the pair in a rapid spell of three for eight in nine overs after lunch.
Solanki went first, trapped lbw for 47, then Hick (44) lashed a trademark square cut which Peter Bowler, who arrived 1.5 hours late after sitting a law exam, took low down at backward point. Steve Rhodes fell second ball, gloving a lifter to Bowler again, now stationed at slip, and presenting Caddick with his 500th first-class wicket.
Suitably encouraged, Caddick cleaned up David Leatherdale while Gavin Haynes opened up in the final session to earn Worcestershire a batting point before wicketkeeper Rob Turner snared a brilliant one-handed legside catch. Duncan Caterall's first appearance in the championship was brief, held by Harden at short leg off Caddick, then Steffan Jones had Bobby Chapman caught behind.
Somerset engaged Adrian Pierson as nightwatchman for the 15 overs remaining on a still placid strip, losing Pieran Holloway playing on to Haynes.
This, though, was Caddick's day, one of mixed emotions and a classic riposte.
Day 2: Haynes's day in sun shortened
By Stephen Thorpe at Taunton
Second day of four: Somerset (135-6) trail Worcestershire (224) by 89 runs
A DESULTORY day and a largely meaningless match conspired to dampen the spirits of all concerned as Somerset limped to 135 for six, still 89 in arrears.
Gavin Haynes, the Worcestershire seamer, returned figures of four for 38 in 16 overs and is handily placed to establish a new career best this morning.
The watery sun soon disappeared on a dank morning, a fair reflection of Somerset's insipid start.
Adrian Pierson, the nightwatchman, steered Haynes to gully in the third over without addition, then Stuart Lampitt held a straightforward edge from Peter Bowler at third slip.
Marcus Trescothick struck it well down the ground and cut an attractive swathe square through cover to anything wide and over-pitched but when Lampitt twitched one off the seam to have him caught at slip, Somerset yearned for a period of solid application.
Haynes, one of the legions of the great unsung in the county game, claimed Richard Harden, taken by Graeme Hick at slip at the second attempt. Bobby Chapman then chipped in, trapping Keith Parsons lbw.
Light drizzle marred the late-morning session and delayed the start after lunch, eventually intensifying to a persistent downpour - the favoured outcome in view of the previous fare, some observers harshly averred. The hiatus at least allowed patrons an extended visit to the fascinating cricket museum housed in a barn built in 1510, there to wonder at Joel Garner's old size-12 and sock, W G Grace's monogrammed wallet and other paraphernalia.
Day 3: Test discards ease the pain with bat and ball
By Stephen Thorpe at Taunton
Third day of four: Worcestershire (224 & 230-6) lead Somerset (283) by 171 runs
ANDY CADDICK nudged ahead of Courtney Walsh in the race for 100 wickets but was upstaged by another virtuoso knock from Graeme Hick, his erstwhile England colleague and fellow-discard, whose sumptuous 110 with 80 in boundaries marked the 103rd century of his career and seventh this season.
There are few finer sights than Hick in spate, of course, and this was a treat indeed after Caddick's opening gambit and autumn's grey veil. Caddick was far from enamoured with the track despite the eight-wicket first innings haul, but he rolled up his sleeves in earnest after two early victims.
At the start, Worcestershire struggled to achieve their first target, erasing arrears of 59, when Phil Weston fell to Adrian Pierson's splendid catch at fourth slip, then Abdul Hafeez lost his off stump to a fast yorker. Hick, though, was soon in ominous touch, driving with a languid ease through the 'V' and pulling Graham Rose for thrilling consecutive sixes to reach his half century.
Vikram Solanki was initially no less compelling, taking Pierson, the off-spinner, for four fours and a six drilled flat and straight in his first two overs, before he succumbed to Rose, Keith Parsons grasping a stunning one-hander at slip.
Steve Rhodes collected a pair when Caddick resumed, then Hick departed to a miscued hook off Rose, Michael Burns holding an important catch over his shoulder at midwicket.
Somerset, 135 for six overnight, lost Rob Turner to the third ball of the morning, trapped half forward by Stuart Lampitt, then Burns (53) was run out after dominating a stand of 50 with Rose which had promised more.
Duncan Catterall, Worcestershire's 19-year-old debutant seamer, attacks the crease and has a fast, orthodox arm action but, strive as he might, the maiden wicket proved ever elusive.
Rose, the culprit in Burns's dismissal, pulled a Richard Illingworth full toss for six after Somerset's first batting point and even Caddick's bat developed a sweet ring of confidence before he holed out at deep square leg.
Meanwhile, the sun broke through and remained all day as Rose, highlighting again what a redoubtable cricketer lurks beneath that equally sturdy frame, gradually extended the slender lead in consort with Steffan Jones, who finished with an unbeaten 22.
When Hick eventually caught him at slip for 52, the last three wickets had realised 146, well beyond Worcestershire's expectations and symptomatic of the profligate air pervading their out-cricket.
An interesting finish seems guaranteed today should the anticipated gales relent.
Day 4
Worcestershire added seven in two overs before rain swept in at Taunton and after an early lunch and the loss of 22 overs, play resumed at 12.55. Stuart Lampitt (41 not out) and Gavin Haynes (36 not out) hurdled along against Somerset's second-string attack for half an hour before a further downpour consigned the match to a watery grave.