Cricket: Sharp Caddick comes in from the cold

Northamptonshire 185 Somerset 23-3

One could only assume that the reason it did not snow for the second day running at the County Ground was that it was too cold. Andy Caddick managed to defy the unpleasant conditions and took his figures to 6 for 65 when Northamptonshire's last six wickets fell for 59 runs. In all, the weather allowed 33.4 overs.

Bowling from the pavilion end, Caddick was a nasty proposition for the Northamptonshire tail, which on this evidence starts all too early. The most important wicket, though, that of Kevin Curran, fell to Graham Rose, but Caddick had a hand in that, too, for he held an excellent low catch off a wild slash at square third man.

Caddick has started this season in excellent fettle and this may be another of Dermot Reeve's achievements now that he is in charge of the Somerset dressing room. If he can sort out Caddick's thinking, and see to it that his considerable talents are put to their best use, he will have done both England and Somerset a great service.

He bowled to a slightly fuller length than he had managed on the first day and looked more dangerous now that he was bringing the batsmen on to the front foot. He used his height well and although he did not move the ball much he was extremely hostile. If he continues like this he will surely have a summer of Test cricket to look forward to.

Caddick took four of the last six Northamptonshire wickets and Rose, with whom Curran began by off-driving for six, the other two. The only real resistance they met came from the last pair of Paul Taylor and Mohammad Akram, who held out for 10 overs while adding 27.

Somerset then faced 14 balls before the rain began again after tea, but when it relented there was still time for nine more overs. Akram, who is distinctly sharp, then had both the openers caught in the slips off tentative strokes and then produced a beauty which bowled Jason Kerr, the night-watchman.