Bob Willis Trophy Central Group, v Worcestershire v Somerset, Worcester, September 6-9, 2020, Day 4 Somerset 251 (Abell 59, Gregory 37) and 193 (Lammonby 107*, Barnard 4-25 beat Worcestershire 200 (Davey 3-32, Overton 3-40) 184 and by 60 runs
Somerset’s four-man pace attack, re-configured in this game due to the departure of Jamie Overton did it again, dismissing Worcestershire before 2.30 to earn a 60-run win. And this was as fine an example of Somerset’s all-round bowling strength as you will ever see. The wickets were shared pretty much evenly between Messrs Overton, Davey, Gregory and Brooks (5, 6, 5 & 4 wickets respectively).
There was only one period of this final day when Somerset showed any semblance of being in jeopardy, when Worcestershire’s eight wicket pair of Ben Cox and Joe Leach were adding 44 in 10 overs in the early afternoon. But they still needed 69 more when Jack Brooks pinned the Worcestershire skipper in the 67th over.
Shortly after Brooks and Josh Davey, who had wrested control back from the Worcestershire pair with a perfect maiden on his return, extracted lbw decisions from the umpires from consecutive balls to wrap up a hard-fought but very well-deserved win. On a day when Somerset had so many close lbw shouts turned down it was perhaps fitting that the last two wickets were chiselled out of umpires Bailey and Mallender.
I’ve developed a coping strategy over the years for dealing with situations like this, honed over the last ten years of days like this. I start the day by writing down where I think / want each wicket to fall and marking the two intervals. I’ve found that it helps me rationalise the day and break the task down into progressive steps.
This is how I mapped it out and how it played out
I’ve also got another coping strategy, this one I am happy to share with every other Somerset supporter. He’s 6ft 5 of strapping yeoman-like Devonian fast bowler called Craig Overton. When Craig is bowling this season I have total confidence that Somerset are going to get the job done.
Overton who watched the first three pre-lunch dismissals from second slip had bowled beautifully with absolutely no luck either side of the bad light interruption early in the day. He beat the bat regularly, both with movement and extra pace, and had several lbw shouts rejected by the umpire despite his impassioned pleas.
Skipper Abell, perhaps sensing that the Somerset dressing room would be a better place at lunch with a happy Overton brought him back for a two over spell immediately before lunch. It was the defining bowling change of this game as Overton, finally, got, some reward for his efforts removing Brett D’Oliveira and leaving the last four Worcestershire wickets needing to amass 119 for the win.
D’Oliveria was dismissed for a fluent 28 and looked like the one man who could threaten Somerset’s victory push. Despite Basil’s grandson’s efforts by fifteen minutes before lunch, with 21 overs having been bowled and 4 lost to bad light Worcestershire had advanced their score by 56 for the loss of 2 wickets. Such was the Somerset bowlers control that if the home side continued at that rate of scoring they would end the day some 5 runs short of 200.
Josh Davey, of course, epitomised the frugality of Somerset’s bowlers with figures of 9-6-2-1 at this stage having not conceded a run on the second day. Almost immediately I’d made a note of that fact Davey conceded a four to “ruin” his bowling figures but he immediately made amends removing Wessels to a poor shot caught by Eddie Byrom in the leg side ring.
Davey hadn’t opened the bowling at the start of the day, giving way to Lewis Gregory at his preferred end, presumably following Lewis’ two key wickets the previous evening. Davey, however, is the ultimate team man, happy to defer to his teammates but when his chance arises he delivers. This time it was two crucial top order wickets, the aforementioned Wessels and Haynes lbw playing no stroke for the fourth wicket.
Lewis Gregory had made the first breakthrough of the day removing the obdurate Fell for 20 off 79 balls also lbw on a morning that was more late October than early September.
This was the ninth time in ten attempts that Somerset had bowled the opposition out for under 200, the only exception being the 200 exactly Worcestershire made in the first innings of this game. Sad isn’t it that really rankles with me as does the draw at Edgbaston. How nice it would have been to have won five out of five in this competition? I suppose we will just have to wait to Lords for that fifth red ball win of 2020!
Credit to for all the players and officials who have made this competition such a success. For me the excitement of that first morning at the start of August at Taunton against Glamorgan has been undiminished throughout the group phase of this novel and imaginative season. A much-needed respite from the trials of this spring and summer. I don’t think it is stretching things to say that cricket has done all our mental well-being a power of good.
And now we have a five-day final against Essex to look forward to in two weeks. While the County Championship is not at stake you know Tom Abell and his side will be very very keen to triumph. The y may not bear any grudges or feel they have scores to settle, I do.
Finally, a though for Jack Leach, who to my surprise, watched the entire day from first slip with scarcely a hint of arms being loosened or warm-ups being contemplated. He still has to take a wicket in England this summer, perhaps his time will come in St john’s Wood?
