County Championship 2024. Division 1. Somerset v Kent v 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th May. Taunton.

Tom Abell (hamstring) was unavailable.

Somerset. M.T. Renshaw, S.R. Dickson, T.A. Lammonby, A.R.I. Umeed, T. Banton, J.E.K. Rew (w), L. Gregory (c), C. Overton, M. Pretorius, J.H. Davey, M.J. Leach.

Kent. B.G. Compton, Z. Crawley, D.J. Bell-Drummond (c), M.K. O’Riordan, J.L. Denly, H.Z. Finch (w), J.D.M. Evison, B. Swanepoel, G. Stewart, N.N. Gilchrist, G.A. Garrett.

Toss. Kent elected to field

First day 17th May – Anticipation fulfilled

It was a glorious day to watch cricket and, if you were a Somerset supporter, a glorious day of cricket. After an April, The Oval apart, trapped in the grip of a cling-on winter, the sun shone much of the day with no hint of rain when cloud put in an appearance. The temperature was as near perfect as it could be for cricket, there was no wind and shirt sleeves were the order of the day, even at the top of the north face of the Trescothick Pavilion. The bells of St James’ church rang out from behind Gimblett’s Hill before the start and continued as the match got underway. Earlier the annual church service had been held on the Hill. The Quantocks looked even more relaxed than usual, and the crowd flowed into the ground until the number present pushed hard at 2,000. In such a throng, the four closed blocks of the Somerset Stand looked as starkly out of place as a great white whale stranded on a Brighton beach crowded with sun worshippers. The pitch was set well towards the Caddick Pavilion, almost in line with the gap between the Lord Ian Botham Stand and the Colin Atkinson Pavilion. The empty blocks of the Somerset Stand apart, it was an idyllic scene which fed the anticipation of a buzzing first-day crowd.

Into this well of Somerset hope walked Sean Dickson and Matt Renshaw. Dickson was soon walking out of it again. In the second over, Beyers Swanepoel, bowling from the River End, pitched short and wide of off stump. Dickson essayed an expansive cut as the ball moved away and a simple edge landed in the gloves of Harry Finch. Somerset 0 for 1. Dickson looked as beached as the Somerset Stand whale. “Shocking shot,” said the person behind me. “Not a good start,” the accusing comment from the person next to him. The rest of the crowd seemed to agree, for Dickson walked off in virtual silence. Perhaps Swanepoel coaxed some extra bounce from the ball, perhaps it was a speculative stroke too early in the piece, or perhaps, in the light of all that followed, Dixon was a casualty of a planned team assault on the Kent bowling designed to dominate from the outset.

Whatever the cause of Dixon’s downfall, Somerset were soon mounting what became an increasingly effective day-long demolition of the Kent bowling. The Somerset batting in 2024 had developed a new quality to that of 2023 and before. There was a new focus and determination about the top order, whether to buckle down and save a match as at Kidderminster, to battle through the tightest of matches and come out on top as against Essex, or, as on the first day of this match, to dominate the bowling from the outset. By the close, ‘coruscating’ was a word designed for the sort of batting which Somerset displayed. It certainly lifted the spirit if you were a Somerset supporter.

First though, Renshaw and Tom Lammonby worked to steady the innings after the departure of Dixon. It wasn’t easy, for the Kent bowlers harried and probed, Swanepoel in particular moving the ball away. Lammonby was dropped waist-high at second slip off Grant Stewart, Renshaw was badly beaten by Swanepoel, and tension gripped. But then, in an over, as if a switch had been flicked, the innings sprang to life. Lammonby struck the first four balls of Swanepoel’s third over for 14, two straight drives, for four and two, towards the Lord Ian Botham Stand, and two identical clips off the legs, both of which crossed the Ondaatje boundary. Lammonby’s stroke play had its usual serene quality about it. It energised the crowd, the applause rising in volume and length as stroke followed stroke. After Lammonby’s assault, Renshaw turned Stewart twice along the edge of the square to the Somerset Stand for four to take Somerset to 26 for 1 by the end of the seventh over.

Now the two left-handers, Renshaw and Lammonby, set the tone for the day. Lammonby’s characteristic leaves very close to the off stump, as always, had Somerset supporters clenching their toes, but they cheered him too when he eased the ball to the boundary. Renshaw is more emphatic in his stroke making, but each was as effective as the other, and Somerset’s score began to rise at five runs an over despite the ball moving, sometimes late. There were some thick edges to raise the pulse and a leading edge from Renshaw off Swanepoel which popped safely to extra cover, the batters taking two runs. But Renshaw pushed Somerset on, driving a full-length ball from Nathan Gilchrist through the off side to the covers store. Then Lammonby took Somerset to 50 for 1 with a flowing cover drive to the Somerset Stand, albeit off a full toss from George Garrett, before Renshaw pulled Garrett into the Ondaatje Stand for six.

With Somerset on 57 for 1, and in full flow, in classic Taunton style, the scoreboards froze. By the time they came back, to ironic cheers, Somerset had reached 75 for 1, with Lammonby twice opening the face to drive behind square, once against Gilchrist and once against Garrett, the ball crossing the Priory Bridge Road and Gimblett’s Hill boundaries. For his part, Renshaw sent an off drive off Garrett to the Hildreth Stand and a straight drive to the Lord Ian Botham Stand sight screen. Somerset were rampant, but an attempt from Renshaw to drive Garrett back past the bowler resulted in a miscue and a catch by Swanepoel at mid-on. Somerset were 75 for 2 with Renshaw walking back to the Pavilion with 40 runs to his credit scored in six minutes over the hour.

Andy Umeed joined Lammonby. After briefly surveying the bowling, he carried on where he had left off against Essex, if fleetingly. Twice in three balls, Garrett was driven straight to the River End sight screen, the first stroke seemingly involving no effort. In all, there were five fours in an innings of 25 from 28 balls, all five driven, the last a lofted on drive off Swanepoel to the Ondaatje Stand to a shout of, “Shot!” Then, Swanepoel bowled a perfectly directed outswinger which Umeed edged defensively, straight to Marcus O’Riordan at first slip. “It was a good ball, that,” the comment. “Very good ball,” confirmed the message from the online watcher. Somerset 116 for 3 with lunch still 20 minutes away.

Lammonby meanwhile had continued to play his part with three more boundaries, all through the off side. Two of them came off Swanepoel. a cut between slip and gully to the Priory Bridge Road boundary and an open-faced drive to the Colin Atkinson Pavilion. His fifty quickly followed with a two driven through extra cover off Grant Stewart. With the departure of Umeed, Lammonby was joined by Tom Banton. Banton finished the morning with a harbinger of what was to come. Twice he drove Stewart for four, once through mid-off to the Colin Atkinson Pavilion scoreboard, and once through extra cover to the Priory Bridge Road boundary. That took Somerset to 133 for 3 from 32 overs at the break. The flow of runs had been constant, the buzz of the crowd continuous and four and a quarter runs an over on the first morning of the match brought extended applause as Banton and Lammonby walked off.

A quiet walk around a relaxed ground at lunchtime with an old work colleague found Somerset supporters happy enough with the start, particularly as the ball had been moving. With not a single over of spin being bowled in the session, credit was given to Kent for bowling 32 overs, a refreshing effort given the struggles sides often have in meeting the 16 overs an hour requirement. As we were completing our walk behind the Trescothick Pavilion, we came across Tom Abell. He was, as always, happy to chat with supporters. We asked about his hamstring injury. On the mend apparently, but full recovery he thought was still a week or two away. We might have been asking a friend about their health, not one of a premier team’s premier batters. Supporters chatting to players is one of the traditions of the County game that still holds strong.

The relaxed atmosphere continued into the afternoon as Somerset drove forward. Lammonby picked his way with eased singles and the occasional two, while Banton took the game to Kent with a series of well-struck boundaries off Gilchrist. A cut flew through point to the Caddick Pavilion, there were two unanswerable straight drives to the Lord Ian Botham Stand, a neat open-faced drive ran to the Ondaatje Stand while a pull through long leg to the Brian Rose Gates registered the fifty partnership from 77 balls. The anticipation building in the crowd could be felt. The pick of Lammonby’s post-lunch strokes was a lean into a ball which he turned square towards the Somerset Stand for three with no discernible effort. It had been a partnership of power and artistry.

Then, no sooner had the partnership blossomed, than it perished. Lammonby made to pull Stewart, swivelling smoothly with the pull as is his style, and chopped the ball into his leg stump. He had been playing since lunch for the long haul. He had added 15 runs in ten overs with no boundaries when he was out and the applause as he left the field reflected his contribution of 69. Lammonby’s departure left Somerset on 172 for 4 in the 42nd over. Four wickets gone, but there was a sense of inevitability about Somerset’s progress and the buzz in the crowd reflected it despite the early sun disappearing behind a layer of high cloud

James Rew joined Banton. His approach set the tone for a partnership that deserved a clear blue sky and left no doubt about Somerset’s dominance. They added 205 runs in 42 overs. After a cursory look at the bowling, Rew found the boundary four times in two overs. The first, off Gilchrist, was driven with the smoothest of angled bat drives along the ground, fine of backward point, to Gimblett’s Hill. The next three, all in the course of one over from Garrett, were driven between backward point and cover. And that was just the start of an unremitting pummelling of the Kent bowlers. Unusually for him, and despite his start, Banton was the junior partner. He was outscored by Rew by two to one, although a cut over backward point off Garrett and a drive off the back foot through extra cover to the Priory Bridge Road boundary off Gilchrist were as stunning as ever.

From Rew, a slog sweep off Marcus O’Riordan’s off spin flew just out of reach of the deep square leg fielder who palmed it over the boundary in front of the Caddick Pavilion to register the fifty partnership in 61 balls. Rew soon passed his own fifty with a straight-driven boundary to the Trescothick Pavilion off Joey Evison’s medium pace as Kent played through their hand of bowlers. Next, Rew drove O’Riordan over long on for six into the midst of a group of impressively calm spectators standing in front of the Colin Atkinson Pavilion scoreboard. As tea approached, there was still no respite for Kent when, with the interval two balls away, Banton lofted O’Riordan over extra cover to the Priory Bridge Road Stand for a six of his own. As the players walked off, Rew was on 63 from 74 balls, three behind Banton who had been on 36 when Rew joined him. Somerset 265 for 4 at tea, 132 runs in the session for the loss of one wicket and the crowd bubbling.

Between tea and the close, Somerset added another 175 runs in 32 overs for the loss of three more wickets. Rew and Banton began briskly, pushing the ball around for ones and twos, although Banton registered the hundred partnership in 92 minutes with an expansive drive off Stewart which connected only with the edge and flew wide of the single slip to the covers store for four. I watched the first hour standing next to the Priory Bridge Road boundary boards talking to a fellow circumnavigator who normally resides on Gimblett’s Hill. Despite boundaries flowing, milestones falling and Somerset’s dominance growing by the over, concerns raised by members since the start of the season about ground management still briefly resurfaced, but not for long in the face of the Somerset onslaught tearing Kent apart in the middle.

Standing out, a fizzing on drive off Evison from Rew to the Trescothick Pavilion boundary defeated a diving mid-on. A single from the next ball, driven off the back foot by Banton, also through mid-on towards the Lord Ian Botham Stand, took Somerset to 300 for 4. A boundary was coming from every over and cheers as well as applause followed each one. A sharp clip off his toes off Evison from Rew crashed into the Somerset Stand boards straight of midwicket. Two cover drives from Banton off O’Riordan followed. A back foot cover drive from Rew for a single took the partnership to 150. The drives were a joy to behold as they flew off the bat. A rocket-like drive from Banton flew straight back over O’Riordan’s head to the Lord Ian Botham Stand sight screen for four. Banton raised his bat to cheers and applause for a century from 150 balls in ten minutes over three hours. It had been an innings of determined control and controlled aggression. As if to demonstrate the latter point, he struck O’Riordan again, straight back over his head, and into the boundary board in front of the Lord Ian Botham Stand sight screen for six. While we were still absorbing the perfection of that stroke, Banton played another, a cut square to the Caddick Pavilion boundary for four. It marked the end of O’Riordan’s spell and of the 80th over. Somerset were 349 for 4 with still an hour to play. In the gentle warmth of the evening, it was perfect cricket in perfect conditions.

It was an hour in which Somerset scored 91 runs. Banton was soon out, caught behind by Finch attempting an uppercut. Before that though he had played a jewel of a late cut off Stewart to the Ondaatje Stand and steered another ball from Stewart to backward point for a single to bring up the 200 partnership in 160 minutes. Next Rew was raising his bat to acknowledge the applause for a century scored from 128 balls. He had reached it with the neatest of clips through midwicket to the Priory Bridge Road boundary beneath the huge, empty temporary stand which awaited the onset of the T20 season. Somerset 377 for 5. Banton 133 from 174 balls.

Banton’s departure brought Lewis Gregory to the wicket, perhaps not the most welcome of arrivals to a fielding side already facing 377 for 5. Swanepoel, who was moving the ball away well from the Trescothick Pavilion End, and Stewart were the bowlers. Gregory announced himself with a flowing square drive off Swanepoel which rattled the Somerset Stand boards. A neat steer off Stewart through backward point brought four more. An over later, with the most understated of clips off his legs, Rew deposited Stewart over the Somerset Stand boundary before driving Swanepoel through the covers towards the Ondaatje Stand for a single. That took Somerset to 400 with still eight overs left in the day and the sun shining again as brightly as the score.

Rew’s time though was spent. He soon departed, leg before wicket to Evison, trying to turn the ball into the leg side as Somerset worked to maintain the pressure on Kent. He had made 114 in seven minutes over three hours and left the field to a rousing ovation. Somerset 402 for 6. With his departure, many in the crowd began to leave, perhaps the usual teatime departees had awaited the end of his innings. His departure did not delay Somerset though. Craig Overton joined Gregory, and they took Somerset a further 33 runs forward in five overs. Thirteen of those runs came off Gilchrist’s first over after Swanepoel’s new ball spell, a cut for four through backward point to the Somerset Stand from Overton and three threes, two of them from Overton, all driven though the covers. Ten more came off Gilchrist’s next over, including a cut through backward point from Overton to the Garner Gates and a three driven through extra cover by Gregory. The searing pressure from Somerset’s batters was unrelenting.

For Somerset supporters that last hour was the icing on the cake of a glorious day of attacking batting. Overton did not quite reach the close. He was eventually out to Gilchrist, caught behind off an attempted steer just after finding the Priory Bridge Road boundary with a flowing pull. Somerset 435 for 7. Overton 23 from 18 balls. Somerset finally left the field on 440 for 7 with Gregory on 26 from 33 balls. Their supporters left the ground with a spring in their step, a buzz in their chatter and a sense of anticipation fulfilled as they walked along St James Street in the evening sun.

Close. Somerset 440 for 7.