County Championship 2023. Division 1. Lancashire v Somerset. 11^th,12^th, 13^th and 14^th May. Old Trafford.

Lancashire. L.W.P. Wells, G.P. Balderson, J.J. Bohannon, S.J. Croft, D.J. Vilas (c), D.J. Mitchell, G.J. Bell (w), T.W. Hartley, W.S.A Williams, S. Mahmood, J.M. Anderson.

Somerset. T.A. Lammonby, S.M. Davies, T.B. Abell (c), G.A. Bartlett, T. Kohler-Cadmore, J.E.K. Rew (w), K.L. Aldridge, C. Overton, M.J. Henry, J.H. Davey, M.J. Leach.

Overnight. Somerset 109 for 4.

Second day 12th May – Matt Henry – a bundle of fire unleashed

It was another day of, “Lancashire, Lancashire, Lancashire,” from another batch of school children wheeled in for the day. A better start to the day for them too. Gone were the glowering grey clouds of the first day to be replaced by the white cotton wool type, some sun to go with them, but a chill breeze as winter reminded it might still have an over or two to bowl. The crowd was a little larger than on the first day, and the children were armed with plastic inflatable batons with which to accompany their endless wall of chatter and bottomless well of exuberance.

Lancashire began without Jimmy Anderson who was absent with a ‘minor injury issue’ and did not reappear. They opened with George Balderson from the Statham End and Will Williams from the Anderson End. Off his fourth ball, James Rew was dropped at first slip just above the ground by Luke Wells. It was Lancashire’s fourth dropped catch of the innings and someone suggested it was difficult to sight the ball with dark buildings and their smoked glass windows such as The Point as a backdrop. In Williams’ next over, Rew reaped the benefit, driving with an open face through backward point for four and through the on side for three. Those two strokes apart, Somerset scored six runs in the first 12 overs. There was clear policy to leave anything not threatening the stumps as Somerset fought to survive Lancashire’s opening burst. Where strokes were played, they were often carefully struck drives which went straight to the fielders. One frustrated Lancashire supporter called out at one point, “Ten runs in ten overs. Get a move on Lammonby.”

Only as the end of the first hour approached did Rew begin to look for runs with cover drives for three and two off Daryl Mitchell and a pull wide of midwicket for four off Saqib Mahmood. When Lammonby did eventually try to ‘get a move on’ off Mitchell he was caught trying to cut a ball of yorker length which pitched about as far outside off stump as Lammonby could reach. The ball flew fast at the head of the substitute fielder, Rob Jones, at second slip who caught it two-handed as he moved his head inside the line of flight. “He has scored four this morning,” said the frustrated Lancashire supporter with a note of vindication in his voice. Lammonby had scored 38 in a total four and three quarter determined hours at the crease.

As if Lammonby’s wicket had woken Somerset from a deep slumber Rew took nine runs from three balls off Mahmood. The first, four from a thick edge, beat the diving gully fielder on the inside but the second was a spectacular square cut also for four struck with a flashing blade. The third was a workaday turn to deep square leg for a single which took Rew to fifty scored in two and a half hours. And then, against some disciplined bowling, Somerset went back to sleep with another 18 runs from 12 overs with but a single boundary from a random square cut from Kasey Aldridge. One Lancashire supporter said, “It’s as if Somerset are intent on keeping their wickets and Lancashire are intent on stopping them from scoring.” If so, both were succeeding, but it was producing cricket played at only a fraction over two runs an over. Perhaps not the ideal offering for the ranks of primary school children who were being introduced to the game, although they seemed to be enjoying themselves well enough. “Lancashire, Lancashire, Lancashire,” continued to ring out as the batons banged away with the chant.

Perhaps in an attempt at variety, every so often the chant would change to, “Somerset, Somerset, Somerset.” As often happens in passages of play such as the one we were watching, a Lancashire supporter and I fell into conversation. He was impressed with James Rew and asked what I thought of his keeping. “A work in progress, but already very proficient and with a huge amount of promise,” my response, adding, “Not to mention he is worth his place with the bat alone. A true top flight all rounder.” He drew comparisons with Jos Buttler who was now in his tenth season with Lancashire. “We hardly ever see him because he has so many other commitments,” was the reply. “He hasn’t really made a big impact here.”

And then, counter-intuitively, in terms of how cricket is normally played, as lunch approached, Rew and Aldridge hit out. Rew with a pull for four through deep midwicket off Balderson and another driven through the covers off Hartley while Aldridge, as if someone had prodded him with a stick, suddenly stepped down the wicket to Balderson and drove him straight into the Statham End sight screen for six. It was an unexpectedly lively end to a long stalemate of a morning extended because of play lost on the first day. Out of that morning, Lancashire had squeezed one wicket and Somerset 72 runs in 35 overs, a third of which had been maidens. Of the two sides, Somerset may have been relieved, having reached 181 for 5 from 12 for 3, while Lancashire may have been ruing those three dropped catches on the first day when the ball was assisting the bowlers. On the second, the wicket and the weather, although more overcast than at the start, looked altogether more supine.

The new ball was available immediately after lunch, but not with the result for which Lancashire must have hoped. Aldridge took two fours off the second over bowled by Mahmood, although one was off a defensive edge wide of second slip. And then, Lancashire dropped their fifth catch of the innings. Rew attempted to cut Williams and edged the ball straight at Jones, the substitute fielder at second slip, but above his head. He reached up, got both hands behind the ball, and palmed it over his head. It was the narrowest of misses, for the ball only ran far enough for a single. “Keep bashing away boys,” a fielder shouted. “Come on here, lads,” another, after Aldridge had hooked Mahmood for four. And then, another Lancashire fielding error. A square drive from Rew for which a run did not look possible was misfielded, resulting in a fast-run two and a wild throw which went for four overthrows. Several Lancashire heads around me were shaking. Soon though, they were chattering excitedly after Aldridge attempted to drive Mitchell and edged him to Wells at first slip. This time the ball was safely caught. Somerset 241 for 6. Aldridge 46 in two and a quarter hours. It was enough to warrant appreciative rather than polite applause from the Lancashire crowd.

Rew, meanwhile, had been ploughing on, although a straight drive off Balderson had brought gasps, so emphatic was it. It had registered the century partnership with Aldridge which also brought applause. A square drive for four of some pedigree, also off Balderson, soon followed and registered Rew’s century which caused some to stand and applaud and extended applause from all. It had taken six minutes short of five hours and Rew had had two lives, but that was the nature of the play, and from a Somerset perspective he had been central to keeping them in the match. He was though at the end of his term, a cover drive for four was followed by an attempt to open the face to Mitchell and an edge to Jones at first slip. Shortly before, Lancashire had persuaded the umpires to change the ball someone noted. Somerset 268 for 7. Rew 105.

Overton, who had replaced Aldridge ploughed a different furrow. Scoring mainly in boundaries including two spectacular straight drives, one at each end off Mitchell and Hartley. He had reached 17 in three overs when Rew was out. Josh Davey arrived like a passing meteor, scored two boundaries and went for nine. Overton continued, although six fielders on the boundary constrained him a little, another straight four off Hartley reaching the sight screen from an improbable cross-batted shot played low down at full reach. And then, another dropped catch. Difficult this time, but dropped nonetheless. Matt Henry, on debut for Somerset, drove Mahmood hard and straight, but uppishly to his left, Mahmood got both hands to it, but it burst through them before Henry added insult to injury by taking a single. And that, a maiden apart, was tea with Somerset on 302 for 8.

Henry, Somerset’s new overseas signing, now announced himself with a flourish. Facing Williams, bowling from the Statham End, he launched the first of a fusillade of drives as the sky lightened briefly. The first was edged between gully and backward point for four. The second driven to deep point with an open face. Hartley was driven through the off side explosively for another four, then against Williams again through the off side, another explosive stroke. When Overton was leg before wicket coming half forward to Williams, Henry had added 23 runs in the six overs since lunch, and Somerset had reached 329 for 9. He then added 21 in a single over from Hartley including three sixes, two driven over long on, one landing on the roof of The Point above my head and the other in the seating in front of me. The third was flicked, it was no more than a flick, over backward square leg between two stands before it landed on the concourse behind. This was the Somerset of the ages come to visit. Jack Leach followed up with two fours off the next over, from Williams, before being brilliantly caught off a lofted straight drive by Dane Vilas running to intercept the ball and catching it with a full-length dive. Somerset 361 all out. Leach nine. Henry meanwhile, 50 not out from 39 balls, had set the ground achatter. It had been a stunning innings, for which Overton’s short assault on the bowling had been but an overture, especially after Somerset’s long drawn out crawl through most of their innings.

Henry was not finished, for soon he had the ball in his hand, the primary reason for his signing. He took the second over of the Lancashire innings, from the Statham End. In his next over, Wells drove him powerfully back, a lofted drive passing him to his right at shoulder height as he fell away to his left in his follow through. Henry’s hand shot out like a boxer’s killer-punch, knocked the ball up and caught it at the second attempt. Henry fell, rolled over in the process, and came up from the roll holding the ball up in celebration. Lancashire 5 for 1. Wells one. Somerset supporters were applauding and cheering, and doubtless wondering if a new Somerset star had risen, if a short term one as is the modern way.

With the almost warm temperatures of the first half of the day having given way to a chill wind, which became uncomfortably cold by the end of the day, Henry bowled as he had batted, like a bundle of fire unleashed. Exuberance was manifest in his every movement. His bustling, leg and arm pumping run up, the seemingly endlessly smiling face, he emits energy like some cricketing superhero infusing itself into all around him, the opposition apart. For a fast bowler, he is slight, and has an unprepossessing look about him, lacking in obvious muscular power, and yet, it must be there for him to bowl as he does. On the evidence of the first day here I concluded, woe betide the opposition that underestimates him.

With the Somerset bowlers stretching their length in a search for swing, the Lancashire batters were able to drive with some regularity. They had some luck. Both Balderson and Bohannon were beaten by Henry as the cloud began to close in. When Balderson attempted to cut Overton, the ball flew off the edge between Davies behind the stumps and Kohler-Cadmore at first slip. Kohler-Cadmore dived to take the catch but the ball burst through his hands and ran away four. Another dropped catch, if a devilishly difficult one in, thus far, a match of dropped catches. Two fours, both to Bohannon off Davey when he replaced Overton, came from inside edges too.

Generally though batting looked an easier proposition than it had on the first day. Bohannon drove Henry through the off side for four twice in an over, and before Kohler-Cadmore’s dropped catch, Balderson had already driven Overton three times in the over, twice on the on side and once through the covers, all for two. Lancashire looked to be steering themselves, with some profit towards the close. Until Leach bowled a peach of a ball to Bohannon. He managed to produce some significant late drift into the right-hander. Bohannon’s bat was already coming down to defend the line of the ball until a sudden jerk of the bat towards the pads was noticeable. Too late. The ball went between bat and pad and hit the stumps. Lancashire 72 for 2. Bohannon 31. The partnership with Balderson was worth 67, but the wicket probably left the match even, although one lifelong Somerset supporter had Somerset ahead. As always at the cricket, the morrow will judge between those two assessments.

Close. Somerset 361 (J.E.K. Rew 105, M.J. Henry 50*, K.L. Aldridge 46, D.J. Mitchell 3-32, W.S.A. Williams 3-71). Lancashire 72 for 2. Lancashire trail by 289 runs with eight first innings wickets standing.