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Five for Jack in Edgbaston stalemate
Jack Leach once again underlined his class as Somerset’s Vitality Championship match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston ended in a rain-affected draw.
The left-arm spinner took five wickets for 18 runs in 49 balls, finishing with five for 77, to truncate Warwickshire’s second innings at 270.
The 33-year-old’s work set up a potentially exciting final afternoon with Somerset, facing a target of 369 from 68 overs, on 13 without loss at lunch only for the rain, which robbed the match of 51 overs on the third day, to return.
The loss of another ten overs turned the chase into an impossibility and Somerset ended on 206 for four, James Rew making 55 not out.
The draw cost Somerset valuable ground on Division One leaders Surrey who beat Lancashire at The Oval. For relegation-threatened Warwickshire, the frustration was deep after rain prevented them from trying to turn a strong position into their first victory of the season. They remain the only team in Division One without a win.
Warwickshire resumed on the final morning on 179 for five, 277 ahead, and advanced to 218 before Leach unpicked the lower order.
He started the slide with three wickets for nine runs in 18 balls. Davies, having compiled a measured century, his 11th in First Class cricket, went back to a full-length ball and was bowled. Dan Mousley (37) charged at one cleverly delivered wide on the off side and was stumped. Michael Rae was bowled second ball, heaving to leg.
Olly Hannon Dalby edged to wicketkeeper Rew before Michael Burgess lifted to extra cover to complete Leach’s 27th five-wicket haul in First Class cricket.
Warwickshire’s collapse gave the visitors a glimmer of opportunity. Six weeks earlier, Somerset had amassed 410 for five – their second-highest ever run chase – to beat the Bears at Taunton, so a target of 369 did not daunt them. They started purposefully but then yet another rain interruption sentenced the match to stalemate.
Openers Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Andy Umeed shared an opening stand of 56 whilst Tom Lammonby and Tom Banton perished to pulls at Rae. Rew helped himself to a 23-ball half-century as the match meandered to a draw before the light closed in once and for all with Somerset on 206 for four.
At the close of play, Somerset skipper, Craig Overton said: “It was disappointing to lose time to the weather today because we felt we could chase that target down. With a short boundary on one side and the power in our batting line-up we definitely thought we could chase it.
“Jack Leach bowled really well this morning to put us in that position. Leachy has been struggling a little bit with his rhythm but I just told him to go out there and bowl and let it happen and not worry about it and he bowled beautifully.
“We have lost some ground on Surrey in this round and it is going to be tough to catch them now because they are a top side with a squad that other counties can only dream of having. But you never know, it just takes one win and one defeat to change things.
“We’ll just keep on going and they have got to come to us in September so that will be a huge game. We have got to just make sure we get things right in the other games before that first.”
