Somerset v Essex
Vitality County Championship
Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton
Friday 03 – Monday 06 May 2024, 11am start
Team News:
Somerset: Matt Renshaw, Sean Dickson, Tom Lammonby, Andy Umeed, Tom Banton, James Rew+, Lewis Gregory*, Craig Overton, Migael Pretorius, Josh Davey, Jake Ball.
Essex: Nick Browne, Dean Elgar, Tom Westley*, Jordan Cox, Matt Critchley, Noah Thain, Harry Duke+, Simon Harmer, Shane Snater, Sam Cook, Jamie Porter.
Match Details:
Umpires: James Middlebrook & Alex Wharf
Match Referee: Phil Whitticase
Toss: Somerset won the toss and elected to bowl
Result: Somerset won by 3 wickets
Scorecard: View Here
Day Two Highlights
Day Two Report
Essex fell to a first defeat of the campaign at the hands of Somerset in a chaotic match at Taunton.
After setting Somerset 167 runs to win, openers Matt Renshaw and Sean Dickson produced a crucial partnership to blunt Essex’s fearsome new ball attack and despite a strong Essex comeback, Somerset crept over the line for victory with three wickets to spare.
A target of 167 to win looked stiff for the home batting line-up given what had gone before. But Renshaw (35) and Dickson (42) put together an opening partnership of 75 and, although the Essex bowlers stuck gamely to their task, Somerset were favourites from that moment on.
Andy Umeed made 34 and Tom Banton’s 29 off got them over the line to take 19 points, while Essex took three.
Somerset’s seamers were soon among the wickets when their opponents began the day on six without loss in their second innings. Dean Elgar glanced a catch to wicketkeeper James Rew off Davey at 11 for one and, with four runs added, Sam Cook was caught at third slip by Umeed off Craig Overton, fourth slip Dickson scooping the ball up one-handed to his team-mate.
It was 37 for three when Tom Westley fell lbw pushing forward to Davey before Nick Browne and Jordan Cox added 30. Browne, after a hard-fought 23, then got an inside edge onto his pad to send a delivery from Gregory looping up for a catch at third slip.
It was 95 for four at lunch, with the Essex lead at 123 and the game in the balance. The fifth wicket fell on 106, Matt Critchley nicking a ball from Davey through to Rew, who claimed a low diving catch in front of the slips.
Cox showed great restraint in making a valiant 27, but fell to a gruesome Overton delivery before Thain and Duke combined to take the Essex score to 137.
The last four Essex wickets fell in quick succession, Duke feathering a defensive shot off Jake Ball through to Rew and Thain pinned lbw by Gregory.
Simon Harmer was trapped leg before by Ball and when Rew produced another low diving catch to send last man Jamie Porter back for a duck it meant a third wicket for Gregory.
Soon openers Renshaw and Dickson set about the target of 167 in positive fashion against Cook and Porter with the sun shining brightly. Both went for their shots and by tea they had taken the score to 45 without loss off 11 overs, leaving Somerset needing just 122 more runs for victory.
Dickson took the stand past 50 with a glorious off-drive for four off Shane Snater and followed up with a six over long-on in the same over. Renshaw joined in with a flashing square drive for four off Cook.
When Renshaw edged Snater the ball fell agonisingly short of the slip cordon. Cook gave Essex hope by dismissing Renshaw lbw with the total on 75, but by then only 92 were required.
Dickson followed in the next over, caught behind the ball after hitting his third four and suddenly Somerset had two new batsmen at the crease. But Umeed carried on applying pressure to the Essex bowlers, hitting two straight fours in an over from Cook.
Lammonby matched his first innings patience, but having faced 23 balls without scoring he padded up to a delivery from Snater which nipped in off the seam and fell lbw with 68 still needed.
Umeed had faced 55 balls, hitting 5 fours, when edging a ball from Snater, which cannoned off wicketkeeper Duke and looped to Harmer at second slip.
Migael Pretorius lofted a catch to extra cover off Cook and Rew fell to a Snater deliver that skimmed off-stump. Banton’s played a sensible knock and had almost seen his side home when he also fell to Snater who was the pick of the Essex bowlers with four second-innings wickets.
It was left to Overton to hit the winning boundary off Porter in the second additional over of the day.
Day One Highlights
Day One Report
Twenty wickets fell, all to seam bowling, on an action-packed opening day of Somerset’s Vitality County Championship First Division match with Essex at Taunton.
Migael Pretorius led the way for the hosts, claiming four for 36 as Essex were bowled out for 156, having lost the toss on an overcast morning. There were two wickets each for Craig Overton and Jake Ball on a green pitch.
Only Tom Westley (43) and Harry Duke (25) offered much resistance. Somerset then folded to 128 all out in reply, Jamie Porter (five for 37) and Sam Cook (five for 38) doing all the damage, with Tom Lammonby battling his way to 38.
Essex were left with one over to face at the end of the day and posted six without loss, Cook opening with Dean Elgar.
The carnage began with the Essex score on 14, Elgar lbw to Josh Davey falling across his stumps. Four runs later Nick Browne was bowled off an inside edge by Overton and it was 28 for three when Jordan Cox fell to the same bowler, Lammonby holding a sharp catch at second slip.
It was the prelude to some excellent fielding by Somerset. Matt Critchley was snapped up at third slip by Sean Dickson off Pretorius to make it 45 for four in the 14th over.
Noah Thain contributed 14 before departing to a brilliant low catch by Overton diving forward at second slip off Ball and at lunch Essex were in trouble at 97 for five.
Duke brought the hundred up with a superb extra cover drive for four off Lewis Gregory and also off-drove Overton for a boundary before the sixth wicket went down on 111.
Westley had looked more comfortable than most facing 84 balls and hitting 6 fours before allowing a full delivery from Gregory to sneak between bat and pad onto his stumps.
Simon Harmer helped Duke take the total 132 before driving at a wide ball from Pretorius and edging through to wicketkeeper James Rew. With 13 more added, Duke’s watchful 79-ball innings ended in similar fashion, caught behind off Pretorius driving.
Cook fell for a duck, Rew diving to his right to hold a fine low catch off Ball and the innings ended with Shane Snater skying a catch to give Pretorius his fourth scalp.
Tea was taken and it did not take Essex long to fight back as the eighth ball of the Somerset innings saw Matt Renshaw caught at mid-off, getting a leading edge to a delivery from Cook.
Dickson hit a defiant six over wide long-on off Cook. But when application was required, he fell to another attacking shot, caught at second slip driving loosely at Porter.
Andy Umeed also looked to attack, pulling a six over square leg off Porter and repeating the dose off Snater, while Lammonby played in more orthodox fashion.
It was a defensive shot that cost Umeed his wicket, edging Cook to Harmer at second slip on 31 with the total 53. Tom Banton had made only four when another edge to third slip off Cook cost him his wicket.
Somerset were in a hole at 66 for five when Rew, also on four, was pinned lbw by Porter trapped on the crease. Skipper Gregory then survived a huge appeal for a catch behind off the very next ball.
Cook and Porter bowled 23 of the first 28 overs of the innings between them, Cook returning three for 23 from 11 and Porter two for 24 from 12. After a brief rest, both returned and Porter added Gregory to his victims, lbw on the back foot playing across the line.
Lammonby had fought resolutely for 116 balls when caught at first slip driving to give Porter a five-for. Overton managed a few lusty blows before edging Porter to third slip for the 17th wicket of the day. Somerset still trailed by 35.
The Eagles Have Landed: The 2024 Vitality Blast at The Cloud County Ground
Fresh from a Finals Day appearance last summer, Essex return to shortest-format action in Chelmsford from Sunday 02 June.
Demand remains exceptionally high, and there are now only 15% of tickets remaining across all seven home fixtures, with two already sold out.
With the Eagles aiming to go one better in 2024, there is no time to waste to snap up your seats.
Sunday 02 June, 4:00pm: Essex v Middlesex – buy here
Friday 07 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Glamorgan – buy here (LAST FEW TICKETS)
Friday 14 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Sussex Sharks – SOLD OUT
Thursday 20 June, 7:00pm: Essex v Hampshire Hawks – buy here
Friday 05 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Somerset – SOLD OUT
Thursday 11 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Kent Spitfires – buy here
Sunday 14 July, 2:30pm: Essex v Surrey – buy here
