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Lewis leads Somerset to victory on day three
Lewis Gregory played a true Captain’s innings as Somerset wrapped up this Rothesay County Championship match against Sussex in three days.
With alarm bells ringing, the Somerset skipper batted beautifully and his unbeaten 89 ensured that his side claimed the victory by five wickets.
Sussex resumed on 127 for four on a fine and sunny Sunday morning in Taunton but had only added two runs to the overnight total when Craig Overton struck with the opening ball of the second over of the day. Tom Alsop (8) was the batter to depart courtesy of Lewis Gregory’s catch at first slip.
Without further addition to the score, James Hayes (2) was run out by a sensational piece of fielding from Tom Banton. James Coles called for an unwise single and Banton picked the ball up on the run at mid wicket and his direct hit left the non striker short of his crease.
The Sussex 150 arrived in the 47th over, and Coles and John Simpson ensured that Somerset would have to bat again by taking Sussex to 187.
The visitors were successfully frustrating their hosts with Coles and Simpson taking the seventh wicket stand to 66 and the Sussex total to 195, so it came as something of a surprise when Coles (39) slapped Jack Leach straight to Tom Lammonby at mid off.
By the time the lunch interval arrived, Sussex were 224 for seven, a lead of 38.
During the break, a presentation was made to former Somerset all rounder Roelof van der Merwe to mark his contribution to the Club over a number of years and he received an extremely warm reception from the sizable crowd.
In the afternoon session, Simpson and Fynn Hudson-Prentice took their partnership past the 50 mark and the score had reached 251 when Somerset elected to take the new ball.
Simpson reached his 50 from 126 balls, and the eighth wicket partnership was worth 78 when Matt Henry demonstrated why Somerset were so keen to bring him back to the Cooper Associates County Ground.
The New Zealander sent Hudson-Prentice’s stumps cartwheeling and the Sussex batter had to go for a dogged 41 at 273 for eight. That soon became 291 for nine when Henry found Nathan McAndrew’s outside edge and James Rew did the rest.
The 300 arrived after 91 overs but the Sussex resistance was finally broken when Leach found Ollie Robinson’s outside edge and Overton took the catch at second slip. Robinson’s departure left Simpson unbeaten on 82, with the last wicket stand worth 44.
Leach was the pick of the bowlers, claiming four for 51, whilst Henry finished with three for 90.
With Sussex all out for 335, Somerset were set 150 for victory.
Robinson opened the bowling and the second delivery of the Somerset innings saw Gregory edge to first slip but the Sussex seamer had overstepped meaning that the celebrations were in vain. Those assembled within the stands of the Cooper Associates County Ground breathed a collective sigh of relief. Josh Davey then got another life when Alsop dropped a relatively simple chance at first slip off McAndrew.
Robinson was fired up now and he made the breakthrough, claiming two wickets in the third over. Davey was bowled for two and just three balls later Lammonby was lbw for 0 leaving the hosts reeling on 11 for two.
Rew joined Gregory in the middle and the pair added 19 to the total before Rew (6) slashed at a wide one, got and edge and a diving Simpson sent him on his way.
Gregory and Tom Abell steered their side to 50 in the 16th over, with Abell finally getting off the mark from the 25th delivery he had faced. In truth, that was the type of stoical innings that was required in the situation in which the home side had found themselves.
Somerset’s Captain reached his 50 from 73 balls and in doing so also brought up the 50 partnership for the fourth wicket with Abell.
Abell’s watchful and crucial innings came to an end at 27 when he was caught by Haines off the bowling of Coles. His partnership with Gregory was worth a more than valuable 68 and had taken Somerset’s total to 98.
20 runs were needed when it was announced that the extra half hour would be taken, and that was still the target when Tom Banton smashed Coles to Hughes at cover.
Gregory plundered 13 runs off the 37th over, sent down by Carson, to put the result beyond doubt. Vaughan crashed Carson to the boundary to level the scores before Gregory finished things off with a flick off his pads.
Somerset take 21 points from the match, and Sussex three points.
