TEAM NEWS
Somerset: Josh Thomas, Tom Lammonby, Henry Nicholls, James Rew (WK), Tom Abell, Lewis Goldsworthy, Archie Vaughan, Lewis Gregory (C), Migael Pretorius, Jack Leach, Jake Ball.
Essex: Dean Elgar, Paul Walter, Tom Westley (C), Charlie Allison, Matt Critchley, Michael Pepper (WK), Noah Thain, Simon Harmer, Shane Snater, Sam Cook, Jamie Porter.
MATCH DETAILS
Umpires: Ian Blackwell & Martin Saggers
Match Referee: Mike Smith
Scorers: KW Mitchell & Paul Parkinson
Toss: Essex won the toss and elected to bowl
Result: Somerset win by 8 wickets
DAY FOUR HIGHLIGHTS
DAY FOUR REPORT
Jack Leach produced a spin bowing masterclass as Somerset strengthened their challenge for a first ever Rothesay County Championship title with a crushing eight-wicket victory over Essex at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.
The 35-year-old left-armer returned figures of five for 81 from 55.2 overs, maintaining an immaculate line and length as the visitors were bowled out for 412 in their second innings from an overnight 314 for three. The Essex third-day heroes, Charlie Allison and Matt Critchley fell for 114 and 94 respectively.
That left Somerset a modest target of 102 which they achieved by 3.45pm off 19.2 overs for the loss of two wickets. Tom Lammonby hit 39 not out and Josh Thomas 31.
The hosts took 22 points to move within two of Division One leaders Nottinghamshire, while Essex had to settle for two. It was the first time since September 2019 that Somerset had won a Championship match without Craig Overton, who missed the game following the birth of a baby daughter.
Leach’s match figures nine for 118 suggest he may yet add to his 39 Test Match appearances. He will be a key figure as one of the most competitive races ever for a Championship title reaches what may well prove a thrilling climax.
Somerset were given a boost when skipper Lewis Gregory declared himself fit to bowl having been unable to do so on day three because of a bruised hip sustained fielding.
His two overs proved expensive as Allison and Critchley continued where they had left off the previous evening. A pulled four by Critchley off Gregory brought up a double century stand off 451 balls.
The pair had taken the score from 127 for three to 339 when Leach found the edge of Critchley’s bat and Tom Abell took a juggling catch at second slip. Critchley had faced 236 balls and hit 11 fours in a study of concentration.
Encouraged by that success, Leach added potency to his accuracy. It was 346 for five when Allison’s exceptional contribution ended, wicketkeeper James Rew taking a good catch to end a 254-ball innings from the 21-year-old, who had begun the day on 105.
Leach continued to pitch the ball in an area that made maximum use of the last day pitch and was rewarded again with the total on 350 as Michael Pepper edged to Abell, who took his second catch diving to his left.
When Noah Thain, on 11, fell to the same combination of bowler and fielder, Essex were 367 for seven and just 56 runs ahead. Simon Harmer and Shane Snater added 27 in the period up to lunch, but it had been Somerset’s morning and Leach’s in particular.
Archie Vaughan joined the party in the first over after the interval, having taken over from Leach, who had bowled all morning from the River End. The off-spinner turned a ball pitched wide and clipped the off stump as Snater played no shot.
Vaughan quickly followed up by ripping another delivery back to defeat Harmer’s defensive shot and bowl him for 24. Seamer Jake Ball was forced off by injury two balls into his 25th over of the innings, but Vaughan was on a role and pinned Jamie Porter lbw for figures of three for 123.
The last seven Essex wickets had fallen for 73runs and the only remaining concern for Somerset was whether Harmer or Critchley could match fellow spinner Leach’s efforts on the worn surface. Harmer was given the new ball, but Thomas and Lammonby produced an array of attacking shots from the outset to raise a half-century stand off just 6.5 overs.
Thomas fell to a top-edged sweep off Harmer with the total on 59. Lewis Goldsworthy followed cheaply to the same bowler and Lammonby was dropped on 27 at backward-square off Tom Westley, but by then the outcome was beyond doubt.
DAY THREE HIGHLIGHTS
DAY THREE REPORT
Charlie Allison hit a defiant century to lead a determined Essex fightback on the third day of the Rothesay County Championship Division One match with Somerset at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.
The 21-year-old’s unbeaten 105, off 219 balls, with 13 fours and 2 sixes helped the visitors progress from an overnight 59 without loss in their second innings to 314 for three, a slender lead of three runs. Matt Critchley contributed 76 to an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 187, while Dean Elgar made 56 on a day of massive frustration for the Somerset bowlers.
They toiled away for precious little reward and now face a tough final day to secure a win that would significantly boost hopes of a first ever title as the wide-open Championship race builds towards a potentially thrilling finale.
Play began under cloudless skies with Somerset being led by James Rew in the absence of Lewis Gregory, who suffered a badly bruised hip while fielding on day two.
Edgar and Paul Walter looked relatively untroubled in extending their overnight stand, the latter hitting off-spinner Archie Vaughan for six over wide long-on as the partnership progressed to 82 before Somerset made a breakthrough.
Walter, on 43, was bowled through the gate driving at a good length ball from Jake Ball, reward for the bowlers maintaining a tight line and keeping a check on the run-rate.
Edgar went to a 91-ball fifty, with 8 fours, against one of his former clubs. But, having added six to his score, the left-hander edged a defensive push off fellow South African Migael Pretorius through to wicketkeeper Rew.
It was 127 for two and without a run added Essex skipper Tom Westley fell to a soft dismissal, driving Jack Leach in the air to cover where Tom Abell took a comfortable catch. Suddenly it was Somerset’s morning and at lunch their opponents were 135 for three, still 176 runs away from avoiding an innings defeat.
The afternoon session belonged entirely to the visitors as Allison and Critchley batted with increasing solidity on a pitch offering little in terms of spin or seam movement. While Somerset created a few half-chances, they came to nothing.
Allison emerged from a cautious start to play with increasing freedom as the Essex pair brought up a half-century stand in 129 balls. Critchley had looked in prime form in the first innings and again encountered few problems.
A six over long-on off Leach signalled Allison’s increasing confidence and he moved to an impressive fifty off 88 balls, with 8 fours. The partnership extended to the century mark from 225 deliveries before tea was taken at 232 for three, with Allison unbeaten on 60 and Critchley 39 not out.
The second new ball had just been taken and Pretorius used it to some effect after the interval, going past the bat on numerous occasions. But there was little threat from the other end as Gregory, back on the field after missing the first two sessions, shuffled his attack in an increasingly desperate effort to claim a wicket.
It was an all too familiar tale for the hosts as the pitch flattened out on a third day and proved increasingly unresponsive. Allison survived a few injudicious shots as he approached three figures to go to an immensely valuable fourth first class hundred off 185 balls with a single off Leach.
Critchley was content to play a supporting role. His second fifty of the match had occupied 170 deliveries and featured very few errors.
He made one with his score advanced to 60, but after edging a turning delivery from Leach saw Gregory spill the most straightforward of chances at first slip. It was all the luck the Essex pair needed and a Critchley boundary in the final over took them into the lead.
DAY TWO HIGHLIGHTS
DAY TWO REPORT
James Rew passed 4,000 first class runs at the tender age of 22 as Somerset strengthened their bid for a first ever Rothesay County Championship title with an impressive second day performance against Essex at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.
The prolific young wicketkeeper-batter finished unbeaten on 74 having helped his side extend their first innings total from an overnight 348 for five to 469 all out on a pitch offering assistance to seam and spin. Sam Cook claimed four for 92.
Lewis Gregory then claimed three wickets with his first eight balls at the start of an Essex reply that saw them slump to 158 all out, Matt Critchley top-scoring with 50, Paul Walter contributing 48 and Jack Leach returning four for 37.
Following on 311 behind, the visitors made a better fist of things and closed on 59 without loss, Dean Elgar (30) and Walter (29) having reduced the deficit to 252.
Essex began the day by bowling better than on the first morning, Cook removing nightwatchman Jake Ball and Leach, while Jamie Porter and Shane Snater sent back Archie Vaughan and Gregory respectively as Somerset fell short of a fourth batting bonus point.
At 397 for nine, the hosts had added just 49 for the loss of four wickets. But Migael Pretorius then joined Rew in a last-wicket stand of 72 that frustrated the Essex attack and led to a delayed lunch.
Rew, unbeaten on 21 overnight, blossomed from a testing start and gradually found his timing. An edged four to third man took him to 40 and the 4,000-run milestone, which has included 12 centuries.
His fifty occupied 89 balls and featured 8 fours. Pretorius was positive from the outset of his innings and by the time he fell leg before for 48, playing no shot to a Critchley googly, Somerset had reestablished a position of considerable strength.
Their grip tightened when Gregory began the afternoon session by pinning Elgar lbw and having Tom Westley caught behind chasing a wide one in the first over of the Essex innings. When he followed up by bowling Charlie Allison with the second ball of his second over, the visitors were two for three.
Critchley counter-attacked with some flowing shots as Somerset’s bowlers began to err in line and length. He and Walter brought up a half-century stand in just 52 balls and had taken the total to 76 when the ball went out of shape and was replaced.
Almost immediately, Walter, on 34, was dropped at fine leg by Lewis Goldsworthy, having top-edged a pull shot off Ball. It looked like proving an expensive mistake, but with the score advanced to 104, Walter played another poor shot and clipped a good length delivery from Ball straight to Leach at mid-wicket.
Critchley had swung Leach for six over deep square, but the wily left-arm spinner responded by trapping Noah Thain lbw on the back foot for ten and at tea Essex were 129 for five. Off-spinner Vaughan then struck with the fourth ball after the interval, gaining another leg before verdict to dismiss Critchley, who had impressed for 88 balls, sweeping.
Leach quickly added Simon Harmer to the list of batting casualties and when Snater tried to attack he edged the former England spinner through to wicketkeeper Rew. It was 146 for nine when Leach bowled Cook for a duck and Sam Pepper was last man out for a fighting 35, caught at mid-off to give Vaughan a second wicket.
Somerset unsurprisingly enforced the follow-on, despite Gregory being unable to bowl after falling on the ball while fielding and damaging a hip. Elgar, on 12, survived a caught and bowled chance to Ball, but was a rare moment of alarm as he and Walter saw out the 19 overs to the close.
DAY ONE HIGHLIGHTS
DAY ONE REPORT
Josh Thomas posted an eye-catching hundred as title-chasing Somerset assumed a position of strength on the opening day of the Rothesay County Championship First Division match against Essex at the Cooper Associates Ground.
Taunton-born Thomas scored 110 from 162 balls, struck 15 fours and a six and dominated a stand of 119 for the third wicket with new overseas signing Henry Nicholls, who made 96 on debut as Somerset raised 348-5 after being put in to bat. Tom Abell weighed in with 65 and helped add 99 for the fourth wicket with Nicholls, while James Rew finished on 21 not out.
Sam Cook and Shane Snater proved the pick of the Essex bowlers, claiming 2-77 and 2-68 respectively on a day of toil for the seamers. Essex skipper Tom Westley may already be regretting his decision to insert the opposition on an essentially docile surface.
Although Thomas has been a permanent fixture at the top of Somerset's order this season, he has had six different opening partners. The latest permutation featured Tom Lammonby, whose stay in the middle was cut short by devilish misfortune. There appeared to be no danger when Cook directed a delivery down leg-side, only for the ball to snag on the underside of Lammonby's thigh pad and deflect onto his stumps.
Lewis Goldsworthy will also have felt disappointment in the manner of his dismissal, the Cornishman pursuing a delivery outside off stump from Porter and presenting Michael Pepper with an opportunity to take a diving catch in front of first slip with the score 94-2. At least the hitherto watchful Goldsworthy had contributed 16 in a progressive alliance of 60 for the second wicket before taking his leave.
Unaffected by events at the other end, Thomas survived an early examination against the swinging new ball to raise a fluent half century from 75 deliveries with eight boundaries. He found a willing ally in new overseas recruit Nicholls, the New Zealand Test batter sweeping to good effect against Simon Harmer's spin as the home side reached lunch well-placed on 134-2.
In need of a wicket, Essex were left to rue their profligacy when Harmer found the edge and Pepper put down a chance to hand Nicholls a life on 43. Somerset made them pay, the third wicket pair raising a hundred partnership via 185 balls.
Cutting and driving fluently when the opportunity presented itself, Thomas also demonstrated solid defence and sound temperament as he closed in on his second first class hundred, a landmark attained via 148 deliveries when he carved Harmer away behind point to register his eighth boundary.
Proving the perfect foil, the obdurate Nicholls went to a patient 50 from 120 balls with his eighth four, shortly before Snater bowled Thomas to claim the wicket an improved afternoon bowling performance warranted. Providing reassurance thereafter, Nicholls and Abell advanced the score to 248-3 at tea.
Harmer bowled better than his figures suggested on a surface offering only occasional assistance to spin, but Nicholls and Abell looked increasingly secure on their way to collecting two batting bonus points during the final session.
Uncomplicated in his approach, Nicholls endeared himself to the Taunton regulars long before he was out four runs short of what would have been a crowd-pleasing hundred. Taking the new ball with Essex backs against the wall, Cook induced the Kiwi to chop on with the score 313-4.
Thereafter, Abell ensured Somerset further improved their position. Back in harness after injury and making his first Championship appearance since May, he played with increasing assurance in crafting a chanceless half century from 81 balls. Snater produced a beauty to bowl him shortly before the close, but Somerset could be thoroughly satisfied with their day's work.
