More records tumble on day four
Somerset and Surrey played out a draw on the final day of this Rothesay County Championship clash at the Cooper Associates County Ground.
Although it was another record-breaking day, there was unfortunately no repeat of the dramatic final day victory that Somerset enjoyed in 2024.
Somerset began the day on 691 for eight, and in the opening hour Tom Abell reached his triple century whilst the record for highest ever ninth wicket stand for the Club was broken.
700 arrived in the 167th over, and when the scoreboard ticked past 705 the Club had a new second highest ever score in First Class cricket, surpassing the total amassed against Hampshire in 2003.
More records followed.
Abell became only the eighth batter in the Club’s history to reach 300, his runs coming from 402 deliveries, and he rightfully received a rapturous ovation from the Somerset faithful.
Whilst quite rightly the headlines will focus on Abell, the contribution of Migael Pretorius must not be overlooked. His aggressive approach was the perfect foil for Abell and when the South African eventually departed, trapped lbw by Dan Worrall for 84 from just 83 balls, the ninth wicket stand had been worth a Club record 195. The previous best of 183 having been set by Chris Greetham and Harold Stephenson in 1963 and by Chris Tavaré and Neil Mallender in 1990.
Abell’s monumental innings finally came to an end when he was caught at long on to give Reese Topley his first wicket of the innings.
It was a near perfect knock by the Somerset right hander. His 307 runs came from 407 deliveries, lasted for 551 minutes and included 31 fours and eight sixes. It was an innings of aesthetically beautiful stroke play and at times brutal striking. It is certainly an innings that will live long in the memory.
He departed the field with Somerset’s eighth highest ever score and the fifth highest by a Somerset batter at this famous old venue under his belt. As he made his way from the field, the scoreboard was displaying 731, a lead of 309.
Lewis Gregory, who has led from the front in impressive style once again this summer, then made early inroads into the Surrey lineup.
Dom Sibley (0) was the first to fall, edging to Abell at second slip, before Gregory got one to nibble back in and bowled Ryan Patel (10) off an inside edge to leave the visitors on 23 for two.
With lunch fast approaching, and the score having advanced to 52, Ollie Pope fell to Archie Vaughan for 12. Josh Thomas taking the catch at short leg via glove and pad.
Just five balls had been bowled after lunch when rain forced the players from the field with the scoreboard displaying 53 for three.
Play resumed at 2:40pm and it didn’t take long for Vaughan to strike again. Rory Burns was undone by the flight and edged to Craig Overton at first slip as Surrey slipped to 59 for four.
Rain forced the players from the field again shortly before 3pm resulting in an early tea with the score on 68 for four.
Surrey needed to dig deep and Nikhil Gorantla (28) and Ben Foakes provided some resistance by adding 39 for the fifth wicket until Jack Leach found the former’s outside edge, enabling Overton to take another simple chance at first slip.
As the time approached 4:30pm it was left to James Rew to bowl the final over of the season as the players shook hands with Surrey on 127 for five.
The overriding emotion may be disappointment at narrowly missing out on the Championship again, but in truth it has been another remarkable season for this club that means so much to so many.
