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Somerset on top after day two
Somerset’s bowlers built upon the good work of their batters to ensure that the home side ended the second day of this Rothesay County Championship First Division match against Sussex in the ascendancy.
Migael Pretorius and Craig Overton both claimed three wickets in the Sussex first innings as Somerset took charge at the Cooper Associates County Ground and forced their opponents to follow-on.
Although Sussex fought back in the final session, Somerset ended the day very much the happier of the two sides.
The hosts resumed on 317 for six on another beautifully sunny Taunton morning, and the Somerset faithful had to wait less than 10 minutes to see Archie Vaughan and Craig Overton bring up their 50 partnership. The landmark arriving from 95 balls.
Unfortunately, they also didn’t have to wait long for the conclusion of Somerset’s first innings.
Overton and Vaughan could only advance their stand to 55 as Nathan McAndrew found Overton’s inside edge and John Simpson took a good diving catch low down to his left. Pretorius (1) was then caught behind off Ollie Robinson at 326 for eight.
The returning Matt Henry then received a warm ovation from the crowd as he made his way to the middle and he survived a vociferous appeal for caught behind down the leg side off the first delivery of his innings from Robinson but the officials were unmoved.
With the score on 333, triple Nelson struck as Henry (4) miscued McAndrew high into the Taunton sky and the ball dropped into the waiting hands of Robinson.
Vaughan had reached 80 when he was the last batter to fall, picking out a tumbling Robinson at mid off after looking to deposit McAndrew into the Lord Botham Stand with the score on 338. It meant that Somerset had lost the final four wickets for just 21 runs.
However, any thoughts that Sussex might have had of building on their good start to the day were soon eradicated.
Openers, Daniel Hughes and Tom Haines weathered the early storm from Somerset’s seamers and had taken their stand to 37 when the former gained a life on 10. He drove hard at Davey but could only edge it to third slip where a diving Tom Lammonby was unable to hold on to the chance.
Overton replaced Henry at the Trescothick Pavilion End and made the breakthrough almost immediately when he accounted for Haines, caught behind by James Rew with the total still on 37.
Henry took over from Davey at the River End and the New Zealand international was absolutely convinced that he trapped Clark lbw with the fourth legal delivery of the 12th over. However, the raised finger was not forthcoming.
Clark’s reprieve wasn’t a lengthy one though as he fell lbw to Henry later in the same over at 45 for two.
By lunch, the visitors had reached 68 without further loss.
After the break the score had advanced to 75 when Pretorius got one to do a little bit and it was too good for Tom Alsop who could only edge it through to Overton at second slip.
It wasn’t long before 75 for three became 80 for four. This time it was Davey who was celebrating thanks to Overton’s safe hands at second slip. James Coles was the victim this time, departing for a five-ball duck.
The Sussex total had moved to 97 when Simpson shouldered arms to a delivery from Overton which nipped back in to the left-hander and clipped his off stump. Hughes then fell in exactly the same fashion in Overton’s next over to leave the visitors in trouble at 104 for six.
Overton was unable to stay out of the action and took another catch at (you guessed it) second slip, this time to remove Fynn Hudson-Prentice off the bowling of Pretorius for 14 at 129 for seven.
Jack Leach then got in on the act with two quick wickets. Firstly, McAndrew picked out Lammonby at cover to leave Sussex on 140 for eight and then, with 11 runs added to the total, Robinson danced down the track looking to dispatch the Somerset spinner into the River Tone but he could only edge it to Lewis Gregory at first slip.
Pretorius then bowled James Hayes and Sussex were all out for 152, still trailing by 186.
Pretorius finished with three for 24 whilst Overton claimed three for 30.
Somerset enforced the follow-on but Sussex appeared to find batting somewhat more to their liking second time around, although Overton in particular beat the bat on a number of occasions.
Hughes and Haines brought up their team’s 50 from 57 balls before Haines reached his own half century from 72 deliveries.
The Sussex 100 arrived off the first ball of the 22nd over but Hughes (40) fell to Leach off the very next delivery, edging through to Rew via bat and pad.
Haines (50) then also departed without further addition to the score, trapped lbw by a beauty from Pretorius.
When Carson (6) wafted tentatively at a good delivery from Henry and was caught behind Sussex had slipped from 100 without loss to 111 for three.
Leach was absolutely convinced that he had Clark caught behind off the third ball of the 32nd over but the umpires were unmoved. It mattered not because he was caught behind looking to sweep off the very next ball much to the delight of Somerset’s front line spinner.
By the close of play, Sussex had reached 127 for four, still trailing by 59 runs.
Craig Overton on the three fine catches that built on his three wickets as a bowler: “I used to keep wicket as a young boy, which stands me in good stead for fielding in the slips. I know I have decent hands and I have worked hard on posture positions so I can keep low, even though I am a tall guy.
“I love fielding at second slip. I feel like a slip fielder has to want the ball to come to him, rather than not expecting it, and it’s all about maintaining concentration.
“It was another good day for us. The pitches here tend to become easier to bat on as games progress, which is why we enforced the follow on, and to have them four down going into tomorrow is a very good position.
“The job is not done yet and we will need to bowl well again. But, having beaten Essex in our last match, we are hopefully going to build some momentum.”
Sussex seamer Nathan McAndrew said: “It was a challenging day. We started well and bowled Somerset out quite quickly, which was all we could hope for given the position they built on day one.
“They bowled pretty well and we played at a few balls we didn’t need to, which led to us losing wickets quite quickly. The pitch has got better to bat on and we saw Tom Haines and Daniel Hughes play really well in our second innings.
“They showed that if you can get in there are runs to be made and all we can focus on now is trying to get a lead. There is a lot of the game still ahead of us and we need to perform well tomorrow.”
