Lewis and Josh put Somerset in dominant position on day one
Lewis Gregory and Josh Thomas were the standout performers as Somerset dominated Yorkshire on the opening day of this Rothesay County Championship match at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.
Gregory served up a world class spell of seam bowling to claim six for 43 before Thomas secured his maiden First Class hundred as the home side finished the day with a lead of 39 with seven first innings wickets remaining.
A lot of pre-match talk had been about the Rew family, but it was the seasoned veteran and the young opener who claimed the headlines on a very good opening day for their side.
There was both joy and disappointment when the team news filtered through from the middle this morning. The positivity of Thomas Rew being named in the starting XI in Somerset colours for the first time in First Class cricket was tempered by the loss of spinner Jack Leach due to a neck strain.
The home side won the toss and elected to field and it was left-arm seamer Alfie Ogborne who made the initial breakthrough with just 17 runs on the board. After asking questions throughout his opening over, he struck with the fourth ball of his second over when he trapped Adam Lyth lbw with one that nipped back in beautifully.
If all the early morning talk had been about Rew Junior, it was Rew Senior who was taking the plaudits in the opening session after he pulled off a sensational diving catch to remove James Wharton.
Gregory, who had looked dangerous throughout his opening spell, found the outside edge and Somerset’s ‘keeper took a stunning grab to his right. Wharton could only look on in disbelief before leaving the field at 48 for two without a run to his name.
The dismissal brought Joe Root to the crease and he was soon joined by fellow England International Jonny Bairstow after Fin Bean was dismissed for 35. This time it was Migael Pretorius who was too good for the visiting batter who could only feather the ball through to James Rew.
With the scoreboard showing 64 for three it was imperative for the White Rose County that Root and Bairstow rebuilt the innings. They began to do just that with Root in particular looking in fine fettle as he gloriously drove Ogborne straight back down the ground for back to back boundaries in the 23rd over.
The Yorkshire 100 arrived two overs later, with the 50 partnership coming from just 42 balls.
By the time the lunch interval arrived, the visitors had reached 115 for three.
The partnership was worth 60, and the score had advanced to 124, when Gregory claimed the wicket that Somerset wanted. Root was beaten all ends up and was bowled for 33.
If the crowd of over 2000 at Taunton were delighted by the departure of Root, they were ecstatic when Craig Overton found Bairstow’s inside edge which enabled Rew to take another regulation catch. Bairstow departing for 34 at 140 for five.
Gregory then claimed three wickets in an over to put his side in pole position.
The first ball saw Matthew Revis shoulder arms to one that nipped back in and clipped off stump. Two dot balls were followed by one that trapped the returning Dom Bess lbw for 0. The fifth ball saw Logan van Beek survive a big lbw appeal but claim two leg byes, but it mattered not because the final ball of the over removed van Beek when he edged to Archie Vaughan at third slip.
That left the visitors reeling on 142 for eight.
Four runs had been added to the total before Gregory bowled Jhye Richardson (1), and when George Hill (18) top edged Overton to Tom Lammonby at deep square, Yorkshire’s time at the crease had come to an end with just 162 on the board.
The home side lost two early wickets to slip to 26 for two as Vaughan (7) was caught behind off Jack White, and Lammonby was lbw to Richardson for five.
The score had advanced to 35 when a fine catch low down by Bean at third slip accounted for James Rew (7) to give White a second wicket.
By the time the tea interval arrived, Somerset had reached 63 for three, trailing by 99.
After the interval, Thomas reached his 50 from 54 deliveries, and the half century stand for the fourth wicket arrived from 67 balls. This was followed shortly thereafter by the Somerset 100 after 27 overs.
Thomas surpassed his previous First Class best of 86 with a pull shot for six which also took the fourth wicket partnership to three figures.
A similar shot saw the 21-year-old reach his maiden First Class century from just 109 balls. In truth it was an innings of genuine quality.
Dom Bess was brought into the attack at the River End as Yorkshire sought a much-needed breakthrough, but he was dispatched into the James Hildreth Stand by former teammate Abell as Somerset claimed a first innings lead in the 40th over.
The 150 partnership arrived from 194 deliveries, and by the time play finally drew to a close just before 7pm the home side were in complete control with the scoreboard displaying 201 for three.
Thomas will resume in the morning unbeaten on 136 with Abell not out on 41.
