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Three for Jack and Miguel on day one
Migael Pretorius and Jack Leach both claimed three wickets to just about give Somerset the upper hand on the opening day of this Rothesay County Championship Division One match against Essex.
Whatever the cricketing equivalent of ‘a game of two halves’ is, we certainly witnessed something akin to that at the Cooper Associates County Ground. In the morning session, the Somerset bowlers struggled to make a breakthrough, but after lunch they made hay whilst the sun shone, and my how the sun shone on an extremely warm day in Somerset’s County Town.
After winning the toss on a green surface, Somerset Captain Lewis Gregory elected to field.
Paul Walter and Dean Elgar survived a number of appeals early on, one of which was particularly impassioned, with Josh Davey convinced that he had Elgar caught behind. It was a beautiful delivery from Davey who cut Elgar in half and although the fielding side were absolutely convinced, replays showed it clipped the pad rather than the bat.
The score had advanced to 40 before the breakthrough finally came, and it was Craig Overton who claimed the opening wicket of the day. Overton, back in the side after missing the defeat at Surrey with a back spasm, cramped Walter (20) for room and the Essex batter could only chip it straight to Davey at mid on.
The visitor’s 50 arrived in the 19th over and the home side turned to spin for the 22nd over of the day when Jack Leach was invited to ply his trade from the River End rather earlier than was possibly anticipated.
Elgar and Tom Westley had advanced the score to 66 when Elgar was trapped lbw by Migael Pretorius for 30, and by the time the lunch interval arrived Essex were 81 for two.
Whatever was said in the Somerset dressing room during the interval had the desired effect as the visitors lost five wickets for the addition of just 55 runs to the total during the afternoon.
Although the Essex 100 arrived in the 37th over, Josh Davey found Westley’s outside edge and Overton did the rest at second slip at 115 for three. That soon became 118 for four when Davey got one to rise on Jordan Cox who could only chip it straight to Archie Vaughan at mid on.
Leach then claimed three quick wickets as the visitors slumped to 136 for seven. Firstly, Michael Pepper tried to drive the Somerset spinner but edged to Overton at second slip whilst both Matt Critchley and Simon Harmer were trapped lbw.
Essex managed to weather the Somerset storm and made it through to tea at 155 for seven.
After the break, Noah Thain and Sam Cook took their eighth wicket partnership to 43 and the score to 179 before Migael Pretorius claimed two quick wickets. Cook (8) picked out Vaughan coming in from fine leg before Thain (41) was caught behind to leave Essex on 180 for nine.
Kasun Rajitha and Jamie Porter added what could prove to be an important 26 for the last wicket, but when Overton cleaned up Porter, the visitor’s first innings came to an end with 206 on the board.
Somerset openers, Vaughan and Andy Umeed were required to face five overs.
Unfortunately for the sizable crowd amassed under gloriously blue skies at Taunton, Vaughan was trapped lbw by Cook off the fifth ball of the opening over.
However, Umeed and Josh Davey saw Somerset to the close of play without further loss at nine for one to draw a line under another intriguing day of red ball cricket at the Cooper Associates County Ground.
