Bob Willis Trophy Final – Somerset v Essex, September 23rd – 27th 2020, Day 4 Somerset 301 (Byrom 51*, S Cook 2-38) and 227-7 (Lammonby 117, Porter 4-51) lead Essex 337-8 (Cook 172, Gregory 6-72) by 191 runs
Somerset conceded a first innings lead of 36 but, principally thanks to the brilliance of Tom Lammonby, who notched his third century of this curtailed season, looked like they were forcing their way back into the game until a post-tea collapse, under floodlights in tough batting conditions, saw their hopes recede further.
The debate about whether it was to Somerset’s advantage to have a first innings lead, which was argued eloquently in the negative by Vic Marks at the start of the BBC TMS coverage of day 4 in the negative soon became pretty academic.
You sensed as much when there were two boundary leg byes in the first two overs as Essex added 20 in the first ten minutes, that the first innings lead was theirs. The first innings lead was conceded when a Lewis Gregory delivery somehow eluded the usually impeccable Steven Davies for four byes.
Gregory though, bowling with lovely rhythm from the Pavilion End, struck twice almost immediately after, removing nightwatchman Jamie Porter with a perfect leg stump yorker and following up in the next over removing (Oh Joy of Joys) Harmer for a third ball duck caught in the safe hands of Somerset’s second slip – Craig Overton.
While Adam Wheater remained the potential for quick runs as we neared the 120 over mark remained but a combination of tight Somerset bowling and an apparent reluctance by Essex to try anything expansive resulted in a period of stalemate that lasted virtually through the remainder of the innings.
Tom Abell’s options in this period were limited by the absence of Jack Brooks who injured a finger in the field on the third day and was reportedly getting an x-ray. But Essex’s reluctance to look for quick runs was slightly puzzling, indicating to me that they feel confident of batting out whatever time they are left with at the end of this game. It was only at the start of the penultimate over of the innings that Wheater and Beard showed any sign of aggression.
Tom Abell countered that move by placing all nine fielders on the boundary for Craig Overton’s last over, almost certainly the first and only time Craig Overton will bowl to such a deployment. Essex closed on 337-8 to lead by 36.
The timing of the innings closure and the slightly delayed lunch interval, to accommodate the additional eight overs added on to the day’s play, left Somerset with 25 minutes to bat until lunch. Tom Lammonby and Ben Green achieved the first objective, to get through that nasty first session unscathed and had reduced the arrears by a third on 12-0.
Somerset’s positive intent was evident from the start of the afternoon session as both the openers began positively. The running between the wickets was exemplary and the stroke play confident. The only differentiator between the pair was that Tom was piercing the field regularly while Ben was finding them.
The hundred partnership arrived in the 28th over but Green departed shortly thereafter caught at slip by Sir A off Aaron Beard. Despite that early success Beard was as profligate in this innings as he had been in the first conceding 28 in his four overs and forcing Essex to revert to the tried and tested formula of Harmer from one end with Porter and Sam Cook rotating at the other.
Lammonby lost his captain for 15 with the total on 155, the pair having added exactly 50 in one ball under eight overs in the pre-tea period and looking like they could inflict serious damage given another hour together. Lammonby adjourned on 92 with Eddie Byrom unbeaten without having scored. The lead was 123.
Essex appeared at this point to be powerless to restrict the flow of runs from Lammonby’s bat and were soon, unsurprisingly, doing everything they could to slow the game down while their commentator, sharing the microphone duties with Anthony Gibson, seemingly showing the unease Essex were feeling, spent more time in the afternoon talking about the prospects for rain than the cricket. For a second year running Essex seemed not to trust themselves to survive (as they had to last year) to clinch the title, something that speaks volumes for the threat they perceive Somerset pose.
Lammonby cruised to his century shortly after lunch off 134 balls with 15 fours but lost a becalmed Eddie Byrom for 1 almost immediately thereafter. This preceded a period of circumspection as George Bartlett played himself in and Lammonby sought to see Porter through a very good spell. Unfortunately they were unable to do so departing in consecutive balls to see Somerset slip to 187-5, shortly to be 188-6 with Lewis gone for 1.
Lammonby could, replays suggested, consider himself unlucky ass his LBW appeared to strike him outside the line playing a shot.
The outcome off all this was that Craig Overton and Steven Davies were placed in a stick or twist dilemma needing to build the lead relatively quickly but also not knowing if or when the umpires were going to call play off for bad light and not wishing to be dismissed just before such an eventuality.
They added 36 before Davies was snared at slip off the off-spinner, frustratingly almost immediately after the umpires took a light reading. Two overs later play ended for the day
You have to wonder at the injustice here with Somerset, who had watched Essex bat in good overhead conditions for the majority of their innings, were now batting under increasingly gloomy conditions with the floodlights beginning to take effect.
While Somerset’s bowlers have, time after time, pulled victories out in similar circumstances and even with the forecast anticipating tough batting conditions tomorrow, victory tomorrow will require something exceptional, potentially without the services of Jack Brooks. Perhaps Tom Lammonby will turn into Golden Arm!
A couple of closing statistical note. The first courtesy of Anthony Gibson and Steve Pittard is that in the 44 games they have played together Harmer and Porter have averaged 9.68 wickets per match, which exceeds even McGrath and Warne’s period of domination for Australia. While Sir Cook is responsible for 31.6% of Essex’s first-class runs against Somerset since 2017 (when they returned to Division One) and an even more stunning 41.4% in the last two year. While Somerset are a team in every sense their opponents are three men and a supporting task!
