Century for Jordan on Day One
A partnership of 122 from Jordan Harmann (106) and Thomas Rew (68) in only his second County Championship appearance, steered a Somerset recovery from 47 for three against Nottinghamshire in the Rothesay County Championship First Division at Trent Bridge.
However, Fergus O’Neill later grabbed two of the three wickets that fell to a second new ball, to put the game back in the balance. By the close of the first day the visitors had reached 295 for seven after Nottinghamshire made the move of including Mohammad Ali, the Pakistan seamer, as their second overseas player, omitting South Africa wicket-keeper Kyle Verreynne.
It was Ali who finally broke through straight after tea to remove Rew but Hermann, opening in his second four-day innings since being signed in mid-May, reached a well-judged century from 203 balls until bowled soon after as O’Neill moved to overnight figures of three for 66.
Put in under heavy cloud on a mottled green pitch that soon proved taxing, Somerset must have hoped for more early relief than was granted by two brief showers that delayed the start and then brought a short stoppage after five balls.
Within seven overs of the resumption, two men had gone, both held at the third of four slips kept in place through much of the first session. O’Neill straightened one that took the leading edge as Josh Thomas, playing to leg, fell without score.
Lewis Goldsworthy, edging his drive at Brett Hutton, followed for eight and it was an hour before Hermann, opening, could often break from defence. Ironically, it proved a second savage drive at Dillon Pennington that cruelly did for James Rew as non-striker when the bowler deflected onto the stumps and ran him out for ten.
After lunch taken at 63 for three, Somerset, lacking Tom Abell with a hand injury, saw 18-year old Thomas Rew fill the breach in a watchful innings that broke into occasional flashing off drives as he matched his South African partner run for run.
With Lyndon James expensively introduced, all five home seamers were tried but alarms were few and Ali proved committed but initially unsuccessful in his first bowl in Britain. Rew reached his maiden First Class fifty from 94 balls two overs after Hermann had posted his from 95.
Ali’s first ball in the second over after tea, taken on 167 for three, finally undid Rew lbw. Archie Vaughan took 41 balls to reach five in support of Hermann but ensured no harm was done in advance of the new ball.
He went on to contribute 25 to a stand of 65 before Hermann was bowled when O’Neill nipped one back before trapping Craig Overton lbw without score next over in which Vaughan had also escaped on 26 offering a hard diving chance to the ‘keeper.
Vaughan will resume on 51, with Jack Leach on 21, having seen Lewis Gregory go, too, out for ten to a Pennington ball that kept low in a final hour that has left the game tantalisingly poised.
After a dramatic opening day, Jordan Hermann said:Â “I think we’re in a good position. The pitch is slightly slowish and the runs we have on the board are probably worth more than it might look.
“Notts bowled very well and it was bit of a graft for me, to be honest. I had to knuckle down for what must be the slowest hundred of my career!
“I felt when James Rew was run out that I now owed a few runs! The next time I’ll need to hit the bowler back over his head! It was nice to help the two Rew bothers with whatever experience I have. They are so talented they are bound to go far.
“You need a good defence on that pitch and have to capitalise on anything helpful that comes your way.”
