County Championship 2022. Division 1. Gloucestershire v Somerset. 12^th, 13^th and 14th May. Bristol.

Sonny Baker was unavailable for selection by Somerset due to his continuing injury.

Gloucestershire. M.S. Harris, G.F.B. Scott, J.R. Bracey (w), M.A.H. Hammond, G.L. van Buuren (c) R.F. Higgins, J.G. Bethell, Z.J. Chappell, Zafar Gohar, M.D. Taylor, B.T.J. Wheal.

Somerset. T.A. Lammonby, M.T. Renshaw, T.B. Abell (c), T. Banton, J.C. Hildreth, S.M. Davies (w), L. Gregory, C. Overton, J.H. Davey, P.M. Siddle, M.J. Leach.

Overnight. Somerset 319 for 4.

Second day 13^th May – A crowd within a crowd

The second day felt like a home match. Somerset faces, hats and shirts were everywhere. At least half the crowd, the person with me thought. I wasn’t so sure; it is difficult to assess crowds when they are spread around a ground. Whatever the actual proportions, there were significant numbers of Somerset supporters. More than I can recall seeing at an away match. The volume of their applause and cheers added evidence to that view, and as the day wore on and Somerset turned their overnight 319 for 4 into the promised position of dominance, there is no doubt that the Somerset contingent accounted for far more than half the crowd noise, and virtually all of the cheering. It was not the pockets of cheering that you often hear from opposition supporters at away matches. This was a crowd within a crowd. A Somerset crowd making itself heard. It was a day to be a Somerset supporter. A day which produced everything a Somerset supporter could wish for on a pitch brimming with runs. Of those runs, Somerset took their full measure before subjecting Gloucestershire to a severe examination as they tried to gather some runs of their own.

In the fourth over of the morning Tom Abell played a neat defensive stroke to Zak Chappell, the pick of Gloucestershire’s bowlers on the first day. The ball swung away late, took the edge, and flew knee-high to the left of second slip, Gloucestershire’s captain, Graeme Van Buuren. He dropped smoothly towards the ball and intercepted it as Abell started to walk off. Gloucestershire’s hopes of preventing Abell from steering the Somerset innings to impregnability were in van Buuren’s hands, from whence they fell to earth. “That was as simple a slip catch as you are likely to see in first-class cricket,” the person with me said. “It was certainly pretty comfortable,” someone added. “Abell was walking off,” the next comment from a disbelieving Somerset supporters’ enclave. It was to prove an expensive miss for Gloucestershire. When the ball hit the ground Abell was on 52.

There was further despair for Gloucestershire before the over was out. Abell drove Chappell through the covers towards the short boundary by the folding festival seats in front of the car park to the right if you are seated at the Ashley Down Road End. Van Buuren set off in hot pursuit, dived full length after the ball as it approached and crossed the rope. The ball outrunning a fielder had been a not infrequent sight on that boundary where the ground slopes towards the rope. After the ball had gone, Van Buuren remained motionless on the ground until some Gloucestershire players, an umpire and two support staff went to his aid. Supported under the arms he was eventually helped gingerly to the Pavilion to the sympathetic applause afforded an injured player leaving the field. He did not reappear for the remainder of the day.

“Shot!” the cry as the game resumed and Steven Davies played a typically smooth stroke, a drive through the covers off Matthew Taylor, bowling from the Ashley Down Road End. It crossed the boundary in front of the festival chairs. In Taylor’s next over, Davies glanced to the Pavilion boundary, a stroke much in evidence from Somerset in this match, perhaps a sign of some lack of discipline in Gloucestershire’s bowling. The scoreboard showed Davies on 22, a score which surprised for it had been reached almost invisibly, so understated were some of his strokes. Occasionally he played and missed, but a nicely struck square drive off Chappell and a cover drive off Wheal both to the Mound Stand were more typical of the surety of his strokes. Then, an uppish steer between two gullies off Wheal to the Ashley Down Road boundary brought the comment, “He does tend to play through the air in that area.” The anxiety betrayed by that comment proved prescient. An attempt to repeat the stroke resulted in an edge to Bracey behind the stumps. Davies had made 37 in a stand of 61 with Abell which took Somerset to 360 for 5 and, crucially, to the cusp of batting Gloucestershire out of the game.

Somerset’s performance had lifted the spirits of every Somerset supporter I spoke to, although there was recognition that Gloucestershire were a seriously weakened side. “We have to make this count,” someone said, the depredations of those three initial Championship defeats still casting a heavy shadow. Gregory’s second ball, from Zafar Gohar, immediately sustained the hope of those lifted spirits. He drove it straight. The ball cleared the Ashley Down Road End sightscreen and struck the balcony of a first floor flat before being thrown back. “A good job someone was in,” the comment. “That was a clean hit,” someone else said. It set the tone for Gregory’s innings, two more boundaries coming off his bat in the next over from Wheal, one clipped through the leg side with some force. From there, he scored all around the wicket with apparent ease. George Scott’s medium pace suffered heavy punishment as he was pulled to long leg and driven straight to the Ashley Down Road End before a rocket-like cut through backward point brought a resigned comment of, “Another one,” from a Gloucestershire supporter,

Abell, meanwhile, was no longer hiding his bat under a bushel. He and Gregory, now looking for every run, conjured singles through precise placement and the sharpest of running, matching each other for the energy, intent and speed of foot which they poured into the partnership. Somerset’s score, driven by those singles and frequent boundaries raced along as if blown by the wind. Abell matched Gregory run for run and boundary for boundary. He reached and cut Gohar to the Mound Stand, clipped Brad Wheal behind square to the same place, glanced Ryan Higgins, breaths duly held, to the Alleyne Stand and steered Scott again to the Mound Stand. When Bethell’s slow left arm was tried, Abell pulled him through deep midwicket to the boundary in front of the festival seats.

“Abell’s on 99,” someone said, a not entirely unnecessary reminder given his now relentless rate of scoring. Just as relentlessly, a single off the next ball took Abell to his century and brought the Somerset crowd within a crowd to its feet. As if to celebrate, Gregory lofted Bethell’s next ball back over his head, again hitting one of the flats and then pulled Higgins to the Mound Stand. “That went through his hands,” the comment as a diving fielder was left sprawling on the ground. When Abell edged Higgins past a diving first slip, “Did that carry?” asked a concerned voice before the umpire signalled four as the ball crossed the Russell Stand boundary. There was no time to think about the answer and there was no doubt about Abell’s cover drive to the Mound Stand off Taylor. “Lovely shot!” the comment just ahead of lunch as Somerset left their breathless band of supporters to contemplate a stunning morning of batting and a score of 453 for 5 with Abell on 111, Gregory on 44 and 134 breathless runs banked in the session.

Somerset supporters were bubbling during the lunch interval. To have seen one walking on air would not have been a surprise, for this was a performance to top the one against Warwickshire, although the number of absences from the Gloucestershire team was never far from the conversation. Beyond that, the talk was about the turnaround in Abell’s form, relief that Gregory was finding the middle and speculation about a declaration. Would it happen at lunch? Perhaps ten minutes before the restart to achieve an element of surprise? Most thought not. Five hundred was a popular option. That would give a follow-on score of 351 which most thought would be a daunting prospect. One or two ventured as far as 550, but none beyond that.

Captains are a conservative lot where declarations are concerned, and it came as no surprise when Abell and Gregory emerged after the interval bats still in hand. That Somerset now intended to progress the match at speed was evident from the start. Within three balls, Gregory had hooked Chappell over long leg and into the Alleyne Stand for six before following it with another hook, finer, for four. The six took Gregory to his fifty and loud applause from around the ground.

From there, Abell led the Somerset charge, finding the Alleyne Stand boundary with a hook and a glance, again, both off Chappell who had opened the afternoon bowling from the Pavilion End. It set the pattern and Gloucestershire soon had four fielders on the boundary, Abell and Gregory responded by pushing hard for singles and twos with all but three balls in the first three overs being scored from. Now, Gohar, who had opened the afternoon from the Ashley Down Road End was pulled by Abell over midwicket into the car park beyond the festival chairs. Then, twice, Abell swept. The first he missed, the second he miscued to long on where Wheal took the catch running gently to his right. Abell, with 142, was applauded off, Somerset supporters standing to show their appreciation. Somerset were 512 for 6, Gregory was on 67, and eyes cast towards the Pavilion looking for signs of a declaration were met with the sight of Craig Overton coming down the steps.

In the middle, Gregory launched a ferocious assault. Wheal was pulled to the Mound Stand, Gohar was driven over the straight long on boundary, the ball scattering a group of spectators in the Russell Stand as it fell from the sky. Wheal was driven to the boundary in front of the festival chairs to the comment, “Gregory is a really good striker of the ball.” Before the over was out the ball was lifted over wide midwicket for four more. “Another four,” a disconsolate Gloucestershire supporter said for the second time in my hearing amid the cheers which again broke out in the Somerset crowd within a crowd. Gregory was now on 89, having added 22 in the three overs since Abell left and Somerset were on 543 for 6.

When Gregory was not striking boundaries, he and Overton were taking single after single like the run stealers of Francis Thomas’s poem. When Overton edged Gohar fine towards the Pavilion boundary, he and Gregory ran as if they were about to miss the last bus. Gregory turned and hurtled down the pitch for a third run which always looked just beyond range. Wheal, throwing from the boundary landed a flat throw in Bracey’s gloves and Gregory continued his run back to the Pavilion barely losing velocity until he was halfway there. His 89 had been scored at a run a ball in under two hours and he received a tremendous ovation.

Eyes on the Pavilion again, and again a new batter appeared, this time Josh Davey, the glue that so often holds Somerset’s lower order together, and now, with some Gloucestershire fielders looking demoralised, he held an end secure while Overton scored at more than a run a ball and Somerset voices in the crowd began calling for a declaration. With three or four fielders on the boundary, and the field set deep, singles were pushed with some ease. Taylor was little more than pushed, although at some pace, to the Mound Stand boundary and Gohar was lofted to the Russell Stand for four more. Davey reverse sweeping Gohar to the Mound Stand at deep backward point was indicative of the dominance of the batting. When Overton slog swept Gohar into the car park, the ball took some time to recover and Abell called Somerset off at 591 for 7 with Overton on 35 and Davey on 12.

The buzz among Somerset supporters which built up during the innings break subsided into a quiet hush as Siddle ran away from those of us at the Ashley Down Road End to bowl the first ball of the Gloucestershire innings to Scott. Perhaps the effect of nine and a half hours in the field dragged on Scott’s arms for they seemed slow in bringing the bat down to meet an angled-in, full delivery which struck the pad before the bat had found the line. In quick succession, there followed the appeal, the raised finger, and the tumultuous cheer from Somerset supporters. There were gasps when Siddle found some lift and defeated the new batter, Bracey. And again when Bracey was beaten for a second time before the over was out, and yet again when Bracey edged Siddle in his second over, although the ball did not carry to fourth slip. Somerset were all intent, Gloucestershire looking in disarray.

Then, as the Somerset bowlers perhaps stretched their length looking for movement the Gloucestershire batters began to find balls to drive and the Gloucestershire innings began to settle. Harris twice drove Overton through the on side for four, once with a very neat short-arm drive through midwicket to the festival seats. Bracey drove both opening bowlers, once driving Overton off the back foot through the covers, to the Mound Stand. The bowlers received applause too as the bat was beaten on more than one occasion. When the tea interval interrupted an absorbing struggle Gloucestershire had reached 33 for 1 with Bracey on 23 and Harris on 10.

The discussion among Somerset supporters during the tea interval was around the need to make the position the team were in count. To drive home the advantage. There was already talk about whether to enforce the follow-on such was the size of Somerset’s score, most thought captains too reluctant to enforce the follow-on when they have the opportunity. There was too counsel to the effect that it was a little early to be talking about the follow-on. To avoid the follow-on though, Gloucestershire would need to score 442, a huge total in itself. The weather forecast for the final day was also impinging on the conversation. It has been suggesting only a limited amount of play and was deteriorating the closer the last day approached.

After tea, Bracey continued to push Gloucestershire forward, although Harris was somewhat more subdued in his approach. Siddle and Gregory opened the bowling for Somerset and beat the bat with some regularity, although Bracey responded with three boundaries, one driven and one cut, both off Gregory, particularly catching the eye. Harris’s more measured approach was suddenly and spectacularly broken by a straight drive off Siddle which flew to the Ashley Down Road End boundary.

Jack Leach came into the attack from the Ashley Down Road End with Gloucestershire making steady, if occasionally scratchy, progress on 57 for 1. After he had bowled seven overs, they were 88 for 4 and the match was in Somerset’s grip. In his first over he gave the ball some air, Bracey edged it wide of slip and ran two. Two balls later Leach gave the ball air again and this time beat the edge. The next ball, Bracey edged low to slip where Overton took the catch. “Good catch!” someone shouted. Gloucestershire 60 for 2. Bracey 39. The left-handed Harris responded with a square drive to the Mound Stand off Gregory and pounced on a full toss from Leach with a cover drive to the festival chairs. A ball from Overton he deflected perfectly with an angled bat and, before the over was out, hooked another, both for four. Again, Gloucestershire were beginning to make progress but when Harris attempted to defend against Leach the ball popped off the edge to short leg where Tom Banton took the catch. As Gloucestershire’s Australian Test player returned to the Pavilion someone said, “Well, well, well, it’s starting to get interesting now.” More interesting still when Hammond, on five, attempted to sweep Leach and edged another catch to Overton at slip and Gloucestershire, at 88 for 4, were still 503 behind.

From there the new batter, the left-handed Jacob Bethell, on loan from Warwickshire and, at the age of 19, in only his second first-class match. immediately looked in his element and, on this day at least, the best of the Gloucestershire batters. When Leach dropped short, he was pulled to the Mound Stand boundary at deep backward square leg. When he pitched full he was driven through extra cover to the festival seats. Higgins found the middle too with an off drive to the Pavilion End off Siddle and a cut square to the Mound Stand off Leach. The tumble of wickets had been halted, but when Gloucestershire reached the close they were still 472 runs behind and the Somerset contingent in the crowd went home smiling, if with a tinge of anxiety about that forecast.

Close. Somerset 591 for 7 dec (T.B. Abell 142, M.T. Renshaw 94, L. Gregory 89). Gloucestershire 119 for 4. Gloucestershire trail by 472 runs with six first innings wickets standing.