County Championship 2023. Division 1. Somerset v Hampshire. 10^th, 11^th, 12^th and 13^th July. Taunton.

Jack Leach, (back), Roelof van der Merwe (hand), Ned Leonard (concussion) and Sonny Baker (back) were all unavailable. A number of players were also rested ahead of Vitality Blast T20 Finals Day. Dom Bess is on a short-term loan from Yorkshire.

Somerset. T.A. Lammonby, S.R. Dickson, T.B. Abell (c), G.A. Bartlett, A.R.I. Umeed, J.E.K. Rew (w), K.L. Aldridge, D.M. Bess, J.A. Brooks, A.R.J. Ogborne, S. Bashir.

Hampshire. J.J. Weatherley, F.S. Middleton, N.R.T. Gubbins, J.M. Vince (c), B.C. Brown (w), L.A. Dawson, J.K. Fuller, K.H.D. Barker, F.S. Organ, K.J. Abbott, Mohammad Abbas.

Overnight. Somerset 196 for 5.

Second day 11^th July – Somerset, Somerset, Somerset

“Somerset, Somerset, Somerset.” The schoolchildren were back, and Somerset gave them something to cheer. This was a day of unremitting Somerset success and growing Hampshire despair. Somerset’s usual Hampshire tormentors, Kyle Abbott, Mohammad Abbas and Keith Barker were put to flight. Somerset began slowly, establishing themselves, before dominating the Hampshire attack, building an unassailable first innings score in the process. For the best part of an hour, Somerset scored mainly in singles, although two cover drives from James Rew flowed effortlessly to the boundary. Liam Dawson did cause some problems, and Somerset benefited from some luck, the first slice coming quickly. Rew edged Dawson low and straight to James Vince at slip, but the catch went down. The next ball kept low, defeated Rew and went through Ben Brown’s legs for four byes. One or two balls turned quite sharply and beat the batter too, but those moments of danger passed and Somerset took advantage, Rew keeping an end secure with Kasey Aldridge attacking.

Somerset’s progress was marked by a running commentary by supporters around me. When Keith Barker was pulled for four by Aldridge the comment was complimentary, “Lovely shot! He plays the pull shot a lot and well.” For an edge between first and second the comment was wry, “He’s had a few edges too.” For a sweep behind square to the Brian Rose Gates off Dawson the comment attempted the informative, “He’s tall and has a long reach for the sweep.” Twice in succession, Aldridge found the boundary off James Fuller, once with a crisp cover drive off the back foot and once with a deft glance. With Somerset now scoring at some pace the commentary noted, “Fuller has a very far-flung field.”

The schoolchildren meanwhile were ecstatic at Somerset’s progress and, “Somerset, Somerset, Somerset,” was virtually continuous, accompanied by not a few cheers and applause from the rest of the crowd. Aldridge’s innings though had run its course. Dawson, always dangerous in my experience, bowled a perfectly directed ball which turned just enough to find the edge of a defensive bat and Brown took the catch. But Somerset were 268 for 6, a far cry from 41 for 4 or 80 for 5 and Aldridge received an extended ovation as he made his way back to the Pavilion with 88 runs to his name.

Dom Bess received a warm welcome and continued where Aldridge had left off, immediately taking the lead in scoring. Twice he cut pugnaciously for four, once each off Dawson and Felix Organ, while he and Rew pushed positively for singles. A drive through the covers to the Priory Bridge Road Stand and a reverse sweep, fine towards the Trescothick Pavilion for two soon followed and took Somerset quickly rising scorto 300, with still only six wickets down. When the new ball brought Mohammad Abbas and Kyle Abbott back into the fray, Rew countered by driving Abbott through extra cover for two, registering the fifty partnership from 64 balls. Off the next ball, a stunning straight drive disappeared from the view of those of us in the top of the Trescothick Pavilion before crossing the boundary below. It was a controlled onslaught, but the rise in Someret’s score seemed relentless, Hampshire’s bowlers seemingly powerless to stop it and Somerset lunched on a healthy 329 for 6.

With lunch over, Rew was soon driving Abbott through the on side to the Brian Rose Gates. “They are very good shots, aren’t they?” added the Trescothick Pavilion commentary. Bess continued to feed the positive Somerset mood by hooking Abbott to the Priory Bridge Road Stand for four and then pulling Barker, who had replaced Abbas as James Vince rotated his suffering bowlers, into the Somerset Stand for six, “Somerset, Somerset, Somerset,” chimed the ranks of schoolchildren as Bess brought up his fifty. It came from 66 balls with a flick to the Somerset Stand off Abbott. “Another very good shot,” the comment to another chorus of, “Somerset, Somerset, Somerset.” And then, perhaps signifying hope for Somerset’s spinners, Bess was out, caught behind, trying to drive a ball from the persistent Dawson that turned. Somerset 362 for 7. Bess 54.

The 19-year-old Alfie Ogbourne, on debut, drafted in because of the absence of three first-choice pace bowlers, and the 40-year-old Jack Brooks, came and went, both leg before wicket, again to Dawson, as Hampshire, briefly, bit back, although not before another 30 runs had been added to Hampshire’s growing misery. A cut through backward point to the Ondaatje Stand from Brooks off Dawson brought a shout of, “Shot Jack!” With the fall of Brooks’ wicket, Somerset were 392 for 9. Ogbourne 2, Brooks 12. And then, with Hampshire doubltess breathing a sigh of relief, Shoaib Bashir walked to the wicket. The ever-present Rew meanwhile had continued his remorseless advance, going past 150 with a reverse sweep for four to Gimblett’s Hill off Dawson.

Rew’s innings was more confirmation, if any were needed, of his burgeoning class. Bashir’s innings though was nothing short of revelatory. He was as imperturbable with the bat as he had been with the ball at Chelmsford. There was no obvious reaction from him when Dawson turned a ball and beat him. In the next over he responded, driving Dawson, if without any great style, through wide mid-on to the Garner Gates and then lofted him over midwicket and some way up into the Somerset Stand for six. Two edges off Abbas, one of which, some luck now for Bashir, went between slip and gully for four, failed to unsettle him, the next ball being lofted over mid-on for two. And, if anyone was still in doubt, he lifted Dawson over deep square leg and into the fifth row of the Somerset Stand for six.

Rew meanwhile, to cheers from the crowd, took 16 off an over from Abbas including two more sixes into the Somerset Stand, to a comment of, “And another,” as if Somerset sixes against Hampshire were becoming a commonplace occurrence. Bashir was not finished either. As the flaying of Hampshire’s pace attack continued, a slog sweep off Dawson landed in the Somerset Stand. “He is striking them really well,” came the slightly surprised statement. The comment might have described Rew too, as he hit Organ’s off spin into the first row of the much-battered Somerset Stand.

Before Organ began his spell, play had been held up as Hampshire’s three main pace bowlers stood at the top of a pace bowler’s run up at the Trescothick Pavilion End holding an extended discussion among themselves. “Doesn’t look like any of them want to bowl,” suggested the voice from Trescothick Pavilion. Adding to the impression of Hampshire in full retreat, the field was set deep. In the midst of the mayhem, with Bashir showing maturity with some restrained defensive play as the milestone approached, Rew registered his first double century with another measured single, this time off Organ. The response of the crowd was anything but measured. The cheer and the standing ovation were instant, and the ovation was extended. Double centuries are not an overly common occurrence, and ones coming from 19-year-olds in their first full season are even rarer. Rarer still are Somerset wicketkeepers scoring double centuries. Rew’s was the first since Dar Lyon had achieved the feat 99 years before against Derbyshire.  

After bowling two overs, Organ was replaced by James Vince who at least stemmed the flood of sixes with his medium pace, although Rew pulled him through midwicket for four. Somerset went from 450 to 500 in eight overs before Rew was finally out, leg before wicket, trying to hit Vince into the Somerset Stand. Somerset 500. Rew 221 in just over five hours. With five matches yet to be played before the end of the season, Rew had 952 runs at 73.23. Bashir 44 not out. The last wicket had added 108 runs in 17 overs and Vince’s flick of the arm, as the teams walked off for tea, looked to be more one of despair than celebration.

There was general agreement around me that apart from some signs of turn, the pitch was, or had become flat. It is difficult to explain 242 runs for the last four wickets in any other way, although Aldridge, Bess, Bashir and particularly Rew had excelled themselves while the Hampshire bowlers and fielders had looked to be in disarray by the end. However, 500 all out from 80 for 5 is exceptional in any circumstances. That was reflected in the reaction of the crowd, the mood of which had steadily risen through the day, the level of chatter, the length of the applause and the volume of cheering increasing with each passing hour.

The loudest cheer of Somerset’s innings though was surpassed by that for the first ball of the Hampshire innings bowled by Jack Brooks from the River End. It defeated Joe Wetherley’s defensive push and knocked his off stump askew. The cheer was only matched in its exuberance, if not in its volume, by Brooks’ celebration. He had run in from the River End and continued his follow through into the off side, running flat out through extra cover, across the front of the Ondaatje Stand and back along the front of the Trescothick Pavilion with the Somerset team in hot pursuit. The cheering and applause had subsided, but the crowd was still buzzing when Brooks eventually found his way back to his mark for his second ball.

Nick Gubbins and Fletcha Middleton tried to respond with some positive strokes, Gubbins driving for four against Brooks before edging him over the slips to Gimblett’s Hill. Middleton turned Aldridge through midwicket twice to the Somerset Stand, but before he could continue, a burst of rain sent the players back to the Pavilion. From the top of the Trescothick Pavilion the light looked poor and the floodlights had been on all day, conditions that were far from ideal to set out in pursuit of a first innings score of 500. That was confirmed when Middleton tried to turn the first ball after the resumption, from Aldridge, to leg, looked tucked up by a ball too close to him for the stroke, and edged it over his head towards third slip from where Andy Umeed stepped forward to take a simple catch. Hampshire 39 for 2. Middleton 24. Vince just had time to announce himself with a straight drive past Brooks to the Trescothick Pavilion boundary before the rain returned and this time ended a desperate day for Hampshire.

The schoolchildren with their endless chants of, “Somerset, Somerset, Somerset,” had long gone, but, thanks to Rew, Aldridge, Bess and Bashir it had indeed been a day of, Somerset, Somerset, Somerset. Hampshire’s much vaunted, and with good reason, pace attack had been put to flight. For one day at least, thoughts of Somerset batters wilting in the face of Abbott, Abbas and Barker could be banished from the mind. The two wickets taken by Brooks and Aldridge before the final rain came even left hope that Somerset’s dominance might continue into the third day, although that was tempered by doubts about how much life, some turn apart, there might still be in the pitch.

Close. Somerset 500 (J.E.K. Rew 221, K.L. Aldridge 88, D.M. Bess 54, K.J. Abbott 4-56, L.A. Dawson 4-118). Hampshire 58 for 2. Hampshire trail by 442 runs with eight first innings wickets standing.