County Championship 2022. Division 1. Somerset v Northamptonshire. 20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd September 2022. Taunton.
Jack Leach was unavailable for selection for this match.
Somerset. T.A. Lammonby, Iman-ul-Haq, T.B. Abell (c), G.A. Bartlett, L. P. Goldsworthy, J.E.K. Rew (w), L. Gregory, C. Overton, K.L. Aldridge, J.H. Davey, Sajid Khan.
Northamptonshire. W.A. Young (c), E.N. Gay, L.A. Proctor, J.J. Cobb, R.I. Keogh, R.S. Vasconcelos (w), S.A. Zaib, T.A.I. Taylor, L.B. Williams, B.W. Sanderson, C. White.
Overnight. Somerset 389 and 277 for 1. Northamptonshire 265. Somerset lead by 401 runs with nine second innings wickets standing.
Final day 23rd September – Somerset’s most important victory
Sometimes a single incident shapes the day. The final day of this match was shaped by just such an incident. Northamptonshire had been set, what was effectively, a nominal 462 to beat Somerset. More realistically they had been left five and a half hours to bat if they were to draw the match. After five overs Northamptonshire were 14 for 0 with little evidence of trouble for the opening batters. There was every reason to expect a draw. The pitch appeared to hold few demons and Northamptonshire had constructed the success of their season on their ability to draw one match after another. The animated buzz in the crowd with which the Northamptonshire innings had begun was settling into the customary quiet chat of a Championship crowd enjoying the company of other spectators as much as the cricket.
The sixth over began with Overton running in from the Trescothick Pavilion End and bowling to Will Young. Young dropped the ball a few yards square into the off side. Emilio Gay came for the single. Overton, already moving towards the ball in his follow through, headed Gay up the pitch, gathered the ball, swivelled, and with one stump to aim at, threw down the wicket. Gay was feet rather than inches short of his ground and Northamptonshire were 14 for 1. The small, final-day crowd erupted, the cheer belying the number of empty seats. It was a cheer so instantaneous, so loud, so visceral, it was as if every mouth in the ground had released a season’s worth of pent-up fear about the consequences of relegation in a season when the future of county cricket has never been more in question. This match, that cheer seemed to say, could be won. In that one instant, it seemed relegation could be avoided before the afternoon was out, for if Somerset won, Warwickshire, having lost on the previous afternoon, would be unable to catch Somerset. It was a moment of heart-pounding anticipation.
The day had begun with Somerset racing to bat Northamptonshire out of the game. Tom Abell, after his tremendous innings of the day before, soon departed, edging Sanderson to the keeper, soon to be followed by Tom Lammonby, the other century maker of the Somerset second innings, caught at midwicket, also off Sanderson. Their departure opened the door to a pulsating pair of cameos from George Bartlett and Lewis Gregory, Gregory in particular rushing Somerset to a lead of 461. Quickly into his stride, Bartlett stepped outside leg and lofted Jack White straight back over his head, one bounce over the Trescothick Pavilion rope and flat batted the next ball one bounce over the Gimblett’s Hill boundary. The cricketer who was with me for the second time in the match observed, “That was a ball to cut,” but Bartlett is not unused to playing the unorthodox stroke when it serves his purpose.
A single brought Gregory on strike and his first ball was struck unceremoniously back past the bowler for another four to the Trescothick Pavilion. Another single brought Bartlett back on strike from where he pulled, rather leaden footedly, straight to Taylor in front of the Ondaatje Stand and departed for 17 from 12 balls. The immediate effect of Bartlett’s departure was to unleash the force that is Gregory. Three typically Gregorian, dismissive, sixes the result, the first two off Sanderson. The first, pulled over wide midwicket, just cleared the Somerset Stand rope. “Same shot as Bartlett, but no fielder there,” the comment of the cricketer. The second was pulled, with less apparent effort than result, behind square and landed high into the Somerset Stand. The last, off White, was flicked, if that is not too strong a word for a stroke which seemed to lack the force to swat a fly, off his toes and disappeared down the side of the Caddick Pavilion and headed towards the Priory Bridge Road. At the over’s end, Abell decided Somerset had enough and declared. Gregory had conjured 29 from 11 balls and Northamptonshire were left with most of the day to bat with no purpose but survival.
And then came that run out of Gay. It is not the first time Overton has run someone out in that manner, but it was no less spectacular for that. Three balls later, Luke Proctor, having survived a king pair, attempted to flick a ball, angled in from Overton, through the on side and was leg before wicket. Northamptonshire 14 for 2. Another thunderous cheer to match the first, another release of anticipation as people sensed Northamptonshire were wobbling. Somerset really did have a chance of winning, of avoiding relegation before the day was out and people were on the edge of their seats.
Next, Davey, the smooth-running, quiet assassin with the new ball. When he bowls opposite Overton they form, as a partnership, the epitome of the proverbial whole being more than the sum of the parts. This time, Josh Cobb the victim. Out for one in the first innings, out for one again. An attempt to defend, an outside edge, and Rew took the catch. Northamptonshire 14 for 3. Again, the roar of the crowd, the celebrations of the Somerset fielders and the lonely trudge of the batter back to the Caddick Pavilion. As he went, the roar metamorphosed into animated, excited chatter. Somerset were on a charge and Northamptonshire were reeling in the face of some inspired bowling and the emotion of the moment. Salvation from relegation seemed almost close enough to touch.
Closer when Young, Northamptonshire’s main threat, played defensively to Overton and edged the ball straight towards Abell at second slip. It takes but a split second for a ball to travel from edge to slip fielder but contained in that split second is an age-long wait for success or failure. In that split second, Overton seemed suspended in mid follow though, and the crowd in a collective catching of breath. Then, like a greyhound from the traps, Abell ran towards Overton, clutching the ball in both hands. Overton’s right arm and finger pointed aloft, the crowd erupted again, and Overton ran in celebration towards the striker’s end umpire standing at point. There Overton was surrounded by Abell and the rest of the field. It took a second to confirm on the scoreboard that it was Young who was out, before the post-cheer chatter became even more animated. Northamptonshire were 15 for 4, the main threat gone, and the chatter was now all about winning and staying in the First Division. Of such a moment are memories made. Of such a moment, this year, may Somerset’s future be made.
In this match, Overton had only bowled short spells as he managed a recovering back. But now, with Northamptonshire reeling, Abell kept him on. His main fire though had been spent. He had bowled four glorious overs, taken two wickets, effected a brilliant run out and opened the door to a victory which had been far from certain at the start of the day. Now Northamptonshire attempted to regroup. Although once beaten by Overton, the left-handed Ricardo Vasconcelos cut and uppercut him for two fours before he was withdrawn from the attack. Davey, who has appeared to be carrying some form of injury in recent times had persistently probed the batters at the other end. Now, he was rubbing his hamstring. With Gregory not bowling, it was clear the Somerset pace attack was in difficulty. With six wickets still to take, and if the advantage here was not pressed home, a crucial match at Canterbury to come, rotating the bowling must have been a delicate balancing act for Abell.
After Davey had bowled five overs, Abell replaced him at the River End, and after he had bowled six, Aldridge replaced Overton. The changes brought no immediate success. As so often, after a cascade of wickets, the fizz in the match flattens. The bowling seemed less threatening, the batters became more composed, their sudden control seeming unreal after the avalanche of wickets, and the tumult of emotions and noise in the crowd settled down. The ball still beat the bat but didn’t seem to threaten a wicket. Once though, Aldridge found the inside edge of Vasconcelos’s bat, the ball hit the pad, dropped into the crease, bobbled and curled into the base of the leg stump from where it rolled away leaving the bails undisturbed. The vagaries of cricket.
Vasconcelos and Rob Keogh, who had joined him after the departure of Young, attempted a counterattack. Vasconcelos had uppercut and cut Overton to the boundary on the Caddick Pavilion side of the ground. Now he drove Aldridge to the Ondaatje boundary. The right-handed Keogh cut Abell backward of point, steered him past the slips to the Ondaatje boundary, then drove him to the Priory Bridge Road boundary. A look at the scoreboard though, revealed they had only moved the score along to 43 for 4. Although the pressure which had surrounded those first four wickets had slackened, strains of tension still hung in the air. The bowlers still pressed. Twice Vasconcelos was beaten, Abell once finding the edge, the ball bouncing just short of Overton at second slip before running to the Trescothick Pavilion boundary.
With the sanctuary of lunch an over away for Northamptonshire, Abell, around the wicket, repeated the ball which Vasconcelos, forced to play, had edged past Overton at slip. This time, Vasconcelos tried to flick it to leg, found himself hurried, perhaps it was a quicker ball, and was struck, a replay shows, in front of middle. The ball was angled in and would probably have hit leg. It convinced the umpire. Northamptonshire were 48 for 5, 49 for 5 at lunch. Vasconcelos 19. Somerset’s lead of 412 was irrelevant. Four hours to take the last five wickets, with Northamptonshire almost certainly reeling, was not. The cheering of earlier was repeated, the applause for Abell extended, for now the tsunami-like rush of the Northamptonshire innings towards its close, and the overwhelming sense of momentum still flowing, left little doubt in anyone’s mind that Somerset would win. Somerset’s First Division status seemed assured.
And then, for the final time this season, onto the outfield. The final look at the pitch. The final feel of the turf underfoot. For the first time this year, and there have not been many opportunities, I saw a father playing cricket with his son. Gentle bowling, swishes of the bat, connecting either with air, or sending the ball into the air. Much to learn there of keeping the ball down. But, playing cricket on the outfield at Taunton, or for any young supporter of any county at their headquarters, is a memory that lasts a lifetime. A golden nugget that plays its part in drawing new blood into the game. Once hooked to cricket and their county, if the love is subsequently nurtured, there is no turning back.
Then, all too soon, the idyll was broken, and the players returned. Within two balls, Davey, still persevering, rubbed hamstring included, forced Keogh back onto his stumps, struck the pads and the umpire’s finger was raised for the sixth time in 19 overs. Northamptonshire 49 for 6. Keogh 15. After a Championship season of disappointments, 49 for 6 unleashed another wave of emotion too overwhelming for the brain to process. The buzz of conversation was intense, excited and, to an extent, disbelieving, for most had assumed a draw and a tension-filled final match at Canterbury. Now, with Somerset closing in on victory, hearts were racing in anticipation even as it all seemed too good to be true.
Tom Taylor, whose blistering counterattack in the first innings had taken Northamptonshire past the follow-on figure now launched another, again with Lizaad Williams in support. This time, the task was just too great, the pressure from the bowlers and the rest of the Somerset team too intense. Five times he found the boundary as he took on the Somerset bowlers. Overton was pulled to the Caddick Pavilion, straight driven to the Trescothick Pavilion and driven through the on side to the Ondaatje boundary. In successive balls Davey was guided to fine leg and driven to the Priory Bridge Road boundary. Taylor’s 25 came from 23 balls. It was determined stuff, but eventually Davey found a way through an on drive and struck him on the pads. The finger was raised again, and Northamptonshire were 79 for 7. Another cheer, less strong, no longer visceral, for victory now seemed a formality. Williams followed at 92 for 8, edging Aldridge to Rew having just driven him square off the back foot to the Caddick Pavilion and straight to the Trescothick Pavilion. More cheers.
There was no late resistance from Northamptonshire, no last wicket stand that can sometimes occur in situations such as these. Sanderson, after driving Aldridge through the covers for four, was caught behind driving flat footedly before the over was out. White, the final wicket, was rushed by a ball spearing in on leg stump from Abell and edged it low and to the left of Overton at second slip. Overton reached down, behind the ball, caught it in both hands, held it, and the Somerset team engulfed him in celebration. There was a colossal cheer from the crowd which, in its own time, brought itself to its feet wreathed in smiles, and began to applaud. The applause followed the players all the way to the Caddick Pavilion, and a collective sigh of relief was breathed by anyone within earshot, and I suspect, by everyone beyond earshot, whether in the ground, in front of live stream screens, or picking up the score on whatever ‘device’ they happened to be using.
There was a huge sense of relief that, after a day on which a draw had been expected by most, to be followed by a nail-biting finalé at Canterbury, Somerset, after Overton’s crushing burst, had swept Northamptonshire aside and retained their First Division status. With the future of the County Championship in the sights of the ECB High Performance Review nothing is certain, but English domestic cricket, and the County Championship, may look very different in 2024 and beyond, with a potentially bleak Championship future for any team not in the First Division in 2023. This victory could just turn out to have been the most important in Somerset’s history to date. In that context, it should perhaps be noted when that history comes to be written that across this match, Craig Overton bowled like a man possessed, took seven wickets, three sharp slip catches and effected a brilliant run out at a critical time. Of such moments are history made.
Result. Somerset 389 (T.B. Abell 111, G.A. Bartlett 62, R.I. Keogh 4-99, C. White 3-84) 337 for 4 dec (T.B. Abell 115, T.A. Lammonby 110, Imam-ul-Haq 52). Northamptonshire 265 (W.A. Young 85, T.A.I. Taylor 60*, C. Overton 5-38, J.H. Davey 3-54) and 109 (J.H. Davey 3-25). Somerset won by 352 runs. Somerset 22 points. Northamptonshire 4 points.
Elsewhere in Division 1.
Bristol. Warwickshire 274 (D.P. Sibley 120, Zafar Gohar 5-64) and 128 (T.J. Price 8-27). Gloucestershire 255 (J. Yadav 5-90) and 149 for 7. Gloucestershire won by three wickets. Gloucestershire 21 points. Warwickshire 5 points.
Chelmsford. Lancashire 131 (S.R. Harmer 5-41) and 73 (S. Snater 6-10). Essex 107 (T.E. Bailey 5-36) and 59 (G.P. Balderson 5-14). Lancashire won by 38 runs. Lancashire 19 points. Essex 3 points.
The Oval. Surrey 333 (O.J.D. Pope 136) and 56 for 0. Yorkshire 179 and 208 (f/o). Surrey won by ten wickets. Surrey 22 points. Yorkshire 3 points.
Southampton. Kent 165 and 269 (J.A. Leaning 112). Hampshire 57 (M.R. Quinn 6-23) and 300. Kent won by 77 runs. Kent 19 points. Hampshire 3 points.
Division 1 Table.
P Pl W L D Ded* Pts
1. 13 8 0 5 0 247 Surrey (C)
2. 13 9 3 1 -2 220 Hampshire
3. 13 6 1 6 -6 201 Lancashire
4. 13 6 3 4 0 181 Essex
5. 13 2 4 7 0 151 Northamptonshire
6. 13 3 5 5 0 145 Somerset
7. 13 1 5 7 0 135 Yorkshire
8. 13 3 5 5 -3 134 Kent
9. 13 1 6 6 -1 120 Warwickshire
10. 13 1 8 4 -5 95 Gloucestershire (R)
* With the exception six points deducted from the Lancashire total for two disciplinary infringements in less than 12 months, all deducted points were the result of slow over rates.
'Farmer White' Somerset Cricket Writing 