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Battle for second intensifies after dramatic day one
The battle for second place in Division One of the Vitality County Championship looks set for a dramatic conclusion after a rollercoaster opening day between second placed Hampshire and third placed Somerset at the Cooper Associates County Ground.
After being dismissed for 136, the Somerset attack brought their side roaring back into contention with another stunning performance. Credit too has to go to Tom Kohler-Cadmore whose outstanding innings gave his bowlers something of substance to defend.
Somerset Captain, Lewis Gregory won the toss under darkening skies and elected to bat first but the hosts got off to the worst possible start and slipped to four for two after just two overs.
Kyle Abbott, so often the scourge of Somerset’s batting line up, was again the destroyer-in-chief claiming both wickets in the second over of the match.
Tom Lammonby, who had been moved up the order to open the batting with Archie Vaughan, was the first to fall when he was trapped lbw by Abbott’s fourth delivery without scoring.
Andy Umeed (0) then lasted two balls, nibbling at the final ball of the over and edging behind to Ben Brown.
Tom Abell joined Vaughan in the middle and the pair added 25 for the third wicket before being bowled by a beauty from Muhammad Abbas that nipped back and removed the bails. The Hampshire bowler took particular relish in this scalp after being convinced that he’d had the Somerset batter caught behind earlier in the morning only for the umpire’s finger to remain firmly in the pocket.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore approached his innings in typically positive and flamboyant fashion, dispatching the first three balls of the 13th over, bowled by Muhammad Abbas, to the boundary.
Unfortunately, the rain that had been forecast began to fall just over an hour into the morning session, and as the players left the field, the scoreboard was showing 52 for three after 14 overs. Vaughan and Kohler-Cadmore’s partnership was worth 23, with the latter having contributed 22 runs.
Lunch was taken at 12:15pm with play finally resuming at just after 1:20pm.
Hampshire turned to spin and introduced Liam Dawson into the attack at the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion End to bowl the 16th over. It paid instant dividends as Vaughan was trapped lbw for 29 off the final delivery at 63 for four. That soon became 64 for five when James Rew (0) edged Muhammad Abbas to Toby Albert at second slip.
The colour of the sky reflected the mood of the Somerset faithful and in the increasing gloom the floodlights were switched on ahead of the 19th over.
Seven runs had been added to the total when Kasey Aldridge fell for a 22-ball duck, trapped lbw by Dawson in the 24th over.
Kohler-Cadmore repressed his attacking instincts and along with Gregory brought Somerset to within touching distance of three figures only for the captain to fall lbw to Dawson for 16 at 98 for seven.
The 100 arrived in the 35th over and in the following over the players once again departed for the sanctuary of the dressing rooms as the rain began to fall with the score on 104 for seven.
Play resumed after a delay of just six minutes and shortly after the resumption Kohler-Cadmore claimed the first six of the match by dispatching Fuller into the back row of the Ondaatje stand. It was his first boundary since lunch and indicated the maturity of his innings to that point.
Kohler-Cadmore and Jack Leach had shared a stand of 26 to take the score to 124 when the England spinner looked to take the attack to the Hampshire bowlers by advancing down the pitch to Dawson. Unfortunately, he didn’t make the connection that he had hoped for and edged to James Vince at first slip to depart for nine.
At tea, Somerset had reached 128 for eight.
The score had advanced to 136 when Kohler-Cadmore’s excellent innings came to an end when he edged Abbott behind for 63. His runs coming from 135 deliveries and including six fours and one six.
Shoaib Bashir was then bowled by Abbott without further addition to the total but the bowler’s towel fell out of his pocket during his delivery stride and was therefore called a dead ball.
The reprieve didn’t last long and Bashir was lbw later in the over as the home side were dismissed for 136.
Gregory opened the bowling from the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion End and began with a maiden over. Whatever his captain could do, Alfie Ogborne could do better! The young seamer had Fletcha Middleton caught at second slip by Gregory as he opened up with a wicket maiden.
0 for one could easily have been 0 for two when Toby Albert edged Gregory to Aldridge but the sharp chance went down.
The second Hampshire wicket fell in the seventh over when Gregory found Nick Gubbins’ outside edge and Abell did the rest at first slip. The Somerset opening bowlers were outstanding and limited the visitors to 19 for two after 10 overs.
Spin was then employed at both ends and it was Leach who made further inroads into the Hampshire lineup when James Vince (13) top edged to a sprinting Abell at backward point to leave the visitors on 28 for three.
Six further runs had been added to the total when Leach claimed his second courtesy of a good diving catch from Aldridge at extra cover as Tom Prest came and went without troubling the scorers.
The Hampshire 50 arrived in the 20th over but Leach struck again in the 24th when he bowled Dawson for five to leave Hampshire reeling on 56 for six.
By the close of play the visitors were 62 for five, trailing by 74.
