Somerset v Essex
Rothesay County Championship
County Ground, Taunton
Friday 02 – Monday 05 May 2025 | 11am start
Team News
Essex: Dean Elgar, Paul Walter, Tom Westley (c), Jordan Cox, Matt Critchley, Michael Pepper (wk), Noah Thain, Simon Harmer, Sam Cook, Kasun Rajitha, Jamie Porter.
Somerset: Andy Umeed, Archie Vaughan, Tom Lammonby, Tom Abell, Tom Banton, James Rew (wk), Lewis Gregory (c), Craig Overton, Migael Pretorius, Josh Davey, Jack Leach.
Match Details
Umpires: Nigel Llong & Ben Debenham
Match Referee: Phil Whitticase
Scorers: Polly Rhodes & Paul Parkinson
Toss: Somerset won the toss and chose to bowl first
Result: Somerset won by 3 wickets
Day Four Highlights
Day Four: Report
James Rew’s tenth first class century guided Somerset to an unlikely first Rothesay County Championship victory of the season, a three-wicket success against Essex at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.
Having been 78 for five at one stage in their second innings, chasing 321 to win, the home side began the final day on 216 for six, still needing 105. But Rew took his score from 65 to a superb 116, off 189 balls, with 18 fours, sharing a seventh-wicket stand of 133 with Craig Overton, who contributed 53 not out, to complete a remarkable fightback.
Overton ended the game 25 minutes before lunch with a straight six off Simon Harmer, which took him to a 111-ball half-century notable for unbroken concentration and application in a pressure situation.
Essex had let things slip with some wayward bowling the previous evening and their bowlers found scant assistance in a last-day pitch that had aided seam and spin considerably in the previous sessions.
They had to settle for three points, having been on top for long periods, while Somerset claimed a welcome 19 after a disappointing start to the campaign.
The Essex attack will have welcomed the first meaningful cloud cover of the match when play began with 12 overs to a second new ball, Sam Cook opening up from the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion End and off-spinner Harmer operating from the River End.
Overton, unbeaten on four overnight, played and missed at the first delivery of the morning from Cook, but soon he and Rew were eating into the 105 runs needed for victory, the latter clipping Cook through wide mid-on for the first boundary and edging a second to third man off the next ball.
Overton reigned himself in commendably against Harmer, content to pick gaps in the field for ones and twos, while using his long reach to negate any spin. Rew, who had looked in prime form the previous evening, was the more aggressive as the score passed 250 and he moved into the 90s.
With the sun breaking through, the pair safely negotiated the opening half hour, experiencing few alarms. But there was still the matter of the new ball, taken at 258 for six, with a further 63 needed and Essex under pressure to break the stand.
Cook began his second spell of the morning with it. At the other end Jamie Porter found the inside edge of Rew’s bat only for the ball to fly past wicketkeeper Michael Pepper for four, taking the Somerset man onto 97.
His 161-ball century came up with a back-foot shot through the leg side for two off Porter, a mature innings from a young player who looks destined for an international future. There was still work to do, but Somerset were starting to look firm favourites as Overton brought up the hundred partnership.
Essex quickly reverted to Harmer from the River End, who beat the outside edge of Rew’s bat in his first over with the harder ball. But it was a rare moment of anxiety for Somerset as Overton, who had moved patiently to 27 without hitting a boundary, opened his shoulders to drive Hamer through mid-off for four.
Rew also sensed victory was assured as he cut loose with some sweetly-struck shots. But his brilliant contribution ended with just nine runs required, lbw aiming to launch Harmer over the leg side.
It mattered little as Overton off-drove Harmer for four and then smashed the ball back over his head, pumping a fist as celebrations began in the home dressing room.
Day Three Highlights
Day Three: Report
An injury to centurion Jordan Cox marred a strong Essex display on the third day of the County Championship Division One match with Somerset at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.
Fresh from his recall to the England squad, Cox extended his overnight score of 61 to an unbeaten 103 as his side stretched their second innings total from 163 for four to 259 all out. But he retired hurt immediately on reaching three figures, having collapsed clutching his lower left side after taking the single that put him on 99.
Cox took no further part in the Essex innings and was replaced in the field when Somerset began their quest for 321 to win on a pitch still offering assistance to seam and spin. They closed on 216 for six, Lewis Gregory making 57 and James Rew 65 not out.
The first hour’s play saw Cox and Michael Pepper build rapidly on the Essex overnight advantage of 224.
Cox reverse swept Jack Leach for boundaries off successive deliveries before greeting the introduction of Craig Overton with a glorious extra cover drive for four. Pepper leant good support and the pair had taken the total to 234 for four when misfortune struck.
Cox had been in some discomfort and the quick single off Leach on the cusp of his ton ended with him prostrate the bowler’s end. After several minutes of treatment, he was helped to his feet, but he continued only long enough to slog-sweep Leach for four and complete a 155-ball hundred.
Pepper glanced a four off Overton to take the lead past 300, but on 36 became the first of three victims in quick succession for Migael Pretorius, leg before on the back foot.
Noah Thain edged to wicketkeeper Rew, while Sam Cook top-edged a pull shot to be caught at fine leg. Leach weighed in with the wickets of Kasun Rajitha and Simon Harmer as Essex plunged from 252 for four to 259 all out.
A lead of 321 still looked secure enough on a pitch which had aided bowlers from the first morning. So it appeared, as Somerset’s fragile top order misfired again, leaving the 91 for five at tea.
Andy Umeed edged a catch to second slip off Jamie Porter to depart without a run on the board and soon it was eight for two as Archie Vaughan top-edged a shot to leg off Cook to give a simple catch to mid-wicket.
Harmer was introduced from eighth over and struck first with the total on 54, Tom Lammonby falling lbw for 30 to a ball that turned past the left-hander’s forward defensive shot and struck his back pad.
Tom Abell played well to reach 29 before a sharply turning delivery from Harmer nipped back to clip his off stump and make it 71 for five. With only seven runs added, Tom Banton, on 13, went to reverse sweep the spinner and was judged to have got a touch on the way to the ball reaching Dean Elgar at slip, a decision which clearly frustrated the Somerset player.
Skipper Gregory and Rew were unbeaten at the tea interval and both came out for the final session in positive mood.
Anything remotely loose was punished mercilessly with boundaries in a counter-attacking partnership that only served to highlight previous batting inadequacies. Gregory raced to a half-century off 80 balls, with 7 fours.
Rew was equally impressive and was unbeaten on 37 when his captain brought up the 100 stand with a flashing cut for four off Rajitha. But the same over saw Gregory attempt another back-foot forcing shot only to get a thick inside edge onto his stumps.
Rew’s 10th four, guided to third-man off Cook, brought up a fluent fifty off 91 balls and the Somerset 200. He was still there at the close with a further 105 needed against a refreshed attack and the second new ball tomorrow.
Day Two Highlights
Day Two: Report
Jordan Cox scored a chanceless half century as Essex assumed control at the halfway stage of the Rothesay County Championship First Division match against Somerset at the Cooper Associates Ground in Taunton.
The England batsman finished day two unbeaten on 61, shared in partnerships of 57 and 61 for the third and fourth wickets with Tom Westley and Matt Critchley respectively and helped the visitors close on 163-4 in their second innings, a significant lead of 224 in what has been a low-scoring contest up to now.
Somerset’s pursuit of a first win this season was again undermined by their frailty with the bat, off spinner Simon Harmer claiming 4-43 as the home side were dismissed for 145 in 46.3 overs. Seamers Sam Cook, Jamie Porter and Kasun Rajitha weighed in with two wickets apiece and Josh Davey top-scored with 27 for Somerset, who conceded a first-innings deficit of 61. From the relative security of 46-1, the home side lost nine wickets for 99 runs in an alarming slide reminiscent of the second innings collapse that saw them lose to Surrey at The Oval in their last match.
There was no sign of the carnage to come when Andrew Umeed and Davey safely negotiated the first half hour to stage a second wicket stand of 46 in the face of accurate seam bowling from Cook and Porter. But that soon changed with the advent of Harmer from the end where fellow spinner Jack Leach enjoyed such success on the first day.
Sure enough, his off breaks effected a breakthrough in his third over, Umeed suffering an inexplicable rush of blood to the head and swishing across the line to a ball that rattled into his stumps. Having looked rock-solid in chiseling 20 from 48 deliveries, he was rightly abashed at the manner of his dismissal.
Intent upon being positive, new batsman Tom Lammonby guided a ball from Harmer to the unprotected third man boundary to bring up Somerset’s 50, while an increasingly authoritative Davey drove Porter through the covers for another four. It was Davey’s final act, Porter beating his defences two deliveries later and bowling him for 27 with the score on 56.
There was an altogether different feel to proceedings when Harmer angled a ball across Tom Abell’s body and found his outside edge, Cox taking a straightforward catch at slip. Abell had gone for seven and Somerset were 63-4 and under pressure. Harmer further turned up the heat with a repeat of the delivery that had undone Abell to dismiss Lammonby for 13, Cox again demonstrating safe hands at slip.
And worse followed for the home side, Tom Banton falling for 12 in the act of aiming an injudicious drive at a delivery from Rajitha that pitched outside off stump and made a mess of his stumps via an inside edge. Charged with the task of surviving until the lunch interval, the seventh wicket pair of James Rew and Lewis Gregory failed. Extracting late movement off the pitch, Rajitha persuaded Rew to push half forward and nick a length ball behind.
Having surrendered six wickets for the addition of 51 runs in 14.4 overs, Somerset were reeling, their supporters no doubt relieved when lunch cut short the carnage with the score on 106-7. Any respite was short-lived, however, Gregory shouldering arms to a straight one from Cook and being bowled for 14 as mayhem and mishap resumed in the afternoon session.
Opting to meet fire with fire, Migael Pretorius helped himself to a trio of boundaries and raised a quickfire 24 from 20 balls before Harmer took a startling diving catch off his own bowling to remove the South African. He was denied a five-wicket haul by Porter, who had Craig Overton caught by Cook at mid-on to bring the curtain down on an innings the cider county will want to forget in a hurry.
Somerset were desperately in need of early wickets and Overton obliged, pinning Paul Walter in his crease without scoring. Thereafter, the home side were held up by Dean Elgar and Westley, who mustered stiff resistance on a pitch that was becoming increasingly prone to variable bounce.
Essex were 106 runs ahead when Gregory induced the ball to nip back at Elgar and bowl him for 23. But there was no shifting Westley and Cox, who reached the sanctuary of the tea interval with the score on 59-2.
Somerset felt confident they had run out Westley for 15 in the 26th over, Leach scoring a direct hit on the stumps from cover point as the batsmen scampered a single with the score on 72-2. But square leg umpire Nigel Llong gave the Essex captain the benefit of the doubt, much to the chagrin of hard-done-by Somerset players.
Cox rubbed salt into the wound by cover driving Overton for four to bring up the 50 partnership soon afterwards as the third wicket partnership began to flourish. Not surprisingly, loud cheers rang around the ground when Overton trapped Westley lbw for 26 to reduce the visitors to 102-3 in the 35th over.
Having added a valuable 57 runs in alliance with his captain, Cox now took centre stage, raising a potentially crucial 50 from 88 balls with eight fours. He found a willing ally in Critchley, who made 28 before edging Leach to slip in the final over of the day.
Day One Highlights
Day One Report
Jack Leach took centre stage in a dramatic Essex batting collapse on the opening day of the Rothesay County Championship First Division match with Somerset at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.
The visitors looked to be coping well with a green pitch when progressing to 115 for two early in the afternoon session, having lost what looked likely to prove an important toss. But England left-arm spinner Leach found plenty of turn from the River End and claimed three wickets in quick succession to help reduce Essex to 155 for seven at tea.
They were eventually bowled out for 206, Noah Thain top-scoring with 41. Leach finished with three for 35 from 30 accurate overs, while seamer Migael Pretorius returned three for 24. By the close, Somerset had replied with nine for one, losing Archie Vaughan for a duck.
All eyes were on potential seam movement when Essex began their innings on a wicket barely distinguishable in colour to the outfield. But, while Somerset’s opening bowlers beat the bat on occasions, there was no sign of extravagant bounce or deviation off the surface.
Dean Elgar and Paul Walter took the total to 40 in the 14th over before the latter, on 22, miscued an intended straight drive off Craig Overton and chipped a simple catch to Josh Davey at mid-on.
Leach was introduced as early as the 21st over with the total on 55. He immediately began to cause problems operating around the wicket and turning the ball sharply at times away from the right-handers.
Elgar had progressed patiently to 30 when edging Pretorius just short of Overton at second slip. The following delivery crashed into the left-hander’s pads moving across his stumps and resulted in a successful lbw appeal to make the score 66 for two.
Still there was no sign of the carnage ahead as Essex went in to lunch on 81 for two, with Tom Westley on 13 and Jordan Cox 10. A further 34 runs were added before Davey made what proved a key breakthrough in the 44th over, his first after lunch, Westley edging to Overton at second slip and departing for 20.
The seamer quickly followed up by sending back Cox for 26, comfortably caught by Vaughan at mid-wicket off a mishit to make it 118 for four. It was then that Leach began to weave his spell, maintaining an exemplary line and length to send back Michael Pepper, Matt Critchley and Simon Harmer in the space of four overs.
Pepper edged low to Overton at second slip to fall without scoring, while Critchley was lbw pushing forward and Harmer also leg-before defending off the back foot. At 136 for seven, Essex had lost five wickets for the addition of only 21 runs.
Thain was unbeaten on 26 at tea and doing his best to stem the slide. His solid resistance continued into the final session, aided by Sam Cook, dropped on eight by Tom Abell, deputising at second slip for Overton who was temporarily off the field, with Pretorius the unlucky bowler.
Somerset took the second new ball at 178 for seven, Pretorius striking in the first over with it as Cook, still on eight, top-edged a pull shot to Vaughan at fine leg. It was an overdue change of luck for the South African, who had beaten the bat on numerous occasions. His next over saw the end of Thain’s impressive contribution, caught behind driving, having battled away for 112 balls.
Last man Jamie Porter contributed a useful 19 before being bowled by Overton, leaving Somerset with a tricky five overs to bat at the end of a day played in warm sunshine. The fifth ball, sent down by Cook, saw Vaughan edge a catch to third slip.
Off-spinner Harmer opened the bowling at the end Leach exploited to such good effect and will be looking to play an equally important role tomorrow.
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