County Championship Division 1, Day 1, Chelmsford
Somerset 197-5 (Overton 50*, New 48) Lead Essex 149 (Shaw 3-20, Lammonby 2-5) by 30 runs with 5 first innings wickets standing
It’s possible many people may think I’m deluded but Somerset have an opportunity to put themselves in a commanding position by lunchtime tomorrow. As ever with our team there a lot of caveats but is it unreasonable to ask the birthday boy skipper to continue where he left off in the morning, Lewis Goldsworthy to replicate last year’s end of season ton at the same ground or Will Smeed to drop his early season mountain of runs slap bang in the middle of Essex’s headquarters.
This day will forever remain in the history of Somerset cricket with Will Smeed becoming the first-ever injury sub fielded by the club. TKC suffered a thumb injury taking a catch off Jake Ball in the 8th over and Smeed’s early season double hundred for the Seconds tipped the balance for the brains trust over Archie Vaughan despite the 179 mile distance between the two.
Somerset thoroughly deserve their advantage. And in a low-scoring game like this a lead of 30 with 5 wickets in hand in not to be scoffed at. But the probability is that the surface will be less demonic on day 2 so a substantial enhancement to the current advantage while not a necessity would be truly helpful.
Make no bones about it, I want Somerset to beat every team when we play them. But this lot especially so. The pain of September 2019 will never leave and for me never be forgiven. Michael Atherton was glowing in his tribute to Somerset in his column in The Times last week, it is just as well I’m not writing about Somerset’s host for the national press today!
Starting out in their first innings with Jack Leach acting as an emergency opener there would have been little surprise from the Somerset devotees when the top three were quickly accounted for by Cook and Porter.
Thereafter James Rew, Tom Abell and Lewis Goldsworthy all made telling, and classy contributions before the acting captain iced his own birthday cake with a 36 ball half-century, propelling Somerset to a lead in the last half hour. Overton’s knock was a lesson in economy, he only had to run 6 of his own total with the rest coming in boundaries, 8 fours and two maximums to ensure the excellent work in the first half of the day didn’t go to waste.
Having won the toss Craig and the Somerset fast bowlers followed up with a performance worthy of day 1 of a red-ball game in the first half of April. Deprived of Lewis Goldsworthy and also without Alfie Ogborn Somerset were forced to turn to the much-maligned (by me) pair of Jake Ball and Josh Shaw. Optimism was not at a premium at SomersetNorth just before 11am this morning.
But, I may yet have to invest in some Humble Pie, after Ball, with two wickets in an over and Shaw took 5-64 between them.
Essex could have enjoyed their lunch a lot more pleasantly but for the older arm of Tom Lammonby , his two wickets in an over removing Elgar and Critchley to make it 77-4. With Miggy P removing the impressive Allison for 49 . Thereafter Somerset were in the ascendant with Craig’s post-lunch two in three balls effectively ending any chance of an Essex recovery. Josh Shaw wrapped up the tail nicely.
And if you wanted to enjoy. the day even more take a look at The Glosters score.
