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Lewis and James lead the fightback on day three
Lewis Gregory (57) and James Rew (65*) dug deep and batted impressively to ensure that this Rothesay County Championship match between Somerset and Essex at the Cooper Associates County Ground will go the distance.
Essex must have been confident of heading home with a day to spare when the hosts slumped to 78 for five, but Somerset’s half centurions led the fightback with true grit and determination, as well as no shortage of quality, to see their side to 216 for six by the close of play.
Play will get underway tomorrow morning with Somerset needing 105 runs and Essex requiring four wickets. It could well turn out to be a genuine classic.
The visitors resumed on 163 for four, a lead of 224, which Jack Leach completing the over from last evening.
Michael Pepper picked up the mantle of Matt Critchley as he and Jordan Cox continued to frustrate the Somerset bowlers. The fifth wicket pair brought up the Essex 200 in the 60th over of the match to extend the lead to 262, and their 50 partnership arrived from 55 balls.
There was a brief break in play whilst Cox received treatment. He’d had some light attention on his side prior to the incident but went down clutching the same area after taking a quick single. Replays showed he was holding his side again before going to ground. Although deemed fit enough to continue, Cox was clearly in discomfort.
The Essex batter slog swept Leach to the boundary to bring up his century from 155 deliveries but retired out on 103 just one ball later, bringing to an end an 83-run stand with Pepper.
Cox’s departure sparked a collapse as their remaining five wickets fell for just 13 runs, with Migael Pretorius the destroyer in chief.
With six runs added to the total following Cox’s departure, Somerset’s South African all rounder got one to jag back sharply and trap Pepper (36) lbw. He then sent down an absolute beauty that shaped away from Noah Thain (0), drew the Essex batter into the shot, found the edge and enabled James Rew to do the rest.
253 for six then became 255 for seven when Pretorius banged one in short to Sam Cook who could only miscue high into the Taunton sky. After what seemed like an eternity the ball dropped into the hands of a tumbling Andy Umeed in front of the Colin Atkinson Pavilion.
Leach then got the rewards that his patience and accuracy deserved by removing Kasun Rajitha lbw for 0 before wrapping up the innings courtesy of a sharp catch at mid wicket by Archie Vaughan to remove Simon Harmer as Essex closed on 259 on the stroke of lunch.
Pretorius finished with three for 36 from 14 overs, whilst Leach claimed three for 73.
Needing 321 for victory, Somerset openers Umeed and Vaughan survived the solitary over before the interval unscathed.
The third over after the break saw the visitors make the initial breakthrough when Umeed edged Jamie Porter to Harmer at second slip, and it wasn’t long before 0 for one became eight for two as Vaughan mistimed Cook into the waiting hands of Shane Snater, on for the injured Cox.
Tom Abell joined Tom Lammonby in the middle and the pair set about rebuilding the innings. Indeed, the two Toms brought up the Somerset 50 in the 21st over when Lammonby flicked Rajitha off his legs for four.
Unfortunately for the hosts, Lammonby fell lbw to Harmer for 30 at 54 for three; the partnership had been worth 46.
Lammonby was replaced by namesake Banton who helped advance the total to 71 alongside Tom Abell, but the former Somerset skipper was bowled by an unplayable delivery from Harmer and had to depart for 29.
In the 30th over, Banton reverse swept Harmer beautifully to the boundary for four, but tried to repeat the feat off the very next ball and was caught by Dean Elgar at slip for 13 to leave his side on 78 for five.
By tea, Somerset had reached 91 for five.
After the interval, James Rew brought up the Somerset 100 in the 37th over with back to back cover drives off Porter, both of which were exquisite in nature and worth the entrance fee alone.
Rew and Gregory continued to bat sensibly and effectively and reached their 50 partnership from 81 balls and brought up their side’s 150 in the 48th over.
Somerset required a captain’s innings from their skipper and Gregory looked determined to lead by example as he reached 50 from 80 balls. The 100 partnership then arrived from 137 balls but sadly for the hosts, Gregory dragged one on from Rajitha and departed for 57 at 179 for six.
However, Rew continued unabashed and brought up both his 50 (from 91 balls) and his sides 200 with a leg glance to the boundary in the 63rd over.
He remained steadfast until the close and ensured that Somerset go into day four with a chance of taking something from a game which had seemed lost.
