Somerset v Leicestershire, County Championship Group 2, The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, July 3rd to 7th 2021, Day One, Somerset 461-9 Declared (Conway 88, Van der Merwe 76, de Lange 75, Davey 75*, Davies 65) lead Leicestershire 95-3 by 366 runs
After 74 overs of tough batting yesterday Somerset had amassed 242 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 74 overs. A return which would have been significantly worse without an opening stand of 143. Extrapolating sensibly a total of 300 and a third bowling point was the limit of home aspirations.
By early afternoon Craig Overton was able to declare the Somerset first innings closed on 461-9 off 115 overs when Josh Davey reached his personal best first-class score his, side having added 219-2 in 41 overs.
That is completely bonkers, inexplicable, unbelievable and utterly Somerset in every way. Somerset who had at one point been 224-7 were propelled to this position of utter luxury by a 76 and a pair of 75s from Roelof van der Merwe, Josh Davey and Marchant de Lange in a session and a bit of glorious entertainment. All three were gloriously effective but in their own unique ways. Van der Merwe, who resumed on 18 sliced, carved and punched his way to another 58 off 88 balls with one six. At the other end Josh Davey, who seems utterly unfazed even by Roleof’s slightly unpredictable running between the wickets went on to a career best unbeaten 75 which took 169 balls but was decorated by eleven boundaries a number of them sumptuous drives on both sides of the wicket.
Marchant arrived with the score on 328 and departed on 446, his 75 came off just 83 balls and contained more sixes than fours by a margin of, neatly 6 to 4. The ninth wicket pair rattled along at almost 6 an over either side of lunch in a gloriously entertaining way. When de Lange connects with one of his muscular pulls or drives it is the cricketing epitome of what baseball commentators call the “no-doubter”. How I’d love to see him taking batting practice at Fenway Park or Dodger Stadium. I suspect even those vast ballparks wouldn’t be able to contain a Marchant home run. He’d certainly turn some American heads
Maximum batting points secured the task for Somerset’s bowlers was clear. Take 20 wickets, hopefully without needing to bat again and despite the inevitable disruptions on a surface that seemed to be getting easier to bat on. The biggest worry had to be that captain Craig, understandably would want to lead from the front and bowl himself into the ground.
Pleasingly this was not the case as he was ably supported by Davey, Brooks and de Lange who shared the best part of 36 overs of accurate and testing seam bowling. True Craig has bowled more overs that anyone else but 12 in a day represents a light work out for the North Devonian Trojan.
With plenty of time left Somerset must be patient and maintain their discipline as the control and pressure they are exerting will pay dividends. A couple more wickets and Somerset are through to a fragile Leicestershire lower order. I expect the follow on to be enforced with some comfort before the end of day three.
