County Championship 2024. Division 1. Somerset v Essex 3rd and 4th May. Taunton.

Jack Leach, (knee injury) and Tom Abell (hamstring) were 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, J.T. Ball.

Essex. N.L.J. Browne, D. Elgar, T. Westley (c), J.M. Cox, M.J.J. Critchley, N.R.M. Thain, H.G. Duke (w), S.R. Harmer, S. Snater, S.J. Cook, J.A. Porter.

Toss. Somerset. Elected to field.

First day 3rd May – Push and counter push

We were no nearer knowing where this match might end up at the end of the day than we had been at the beginning. Except that it would take something extraordinary, or a major incursion from the weather, for there not to be a victory for one side or the other. Essex ended the day 34 runs ahead with all their second innings wickets standing which, in the context of a day in which 20 wickets had fallen, gave them the edge. But, with the imponderables arising from a close match and a spicy pitch with a reputation for becoming easier as a match wore on, it was not enough of an edge for Essex supporters to relax as they left the ground.

The day had begun on a pitch only marginally less green than the remainder of the square and under a uniformly grey sky. The crowd must have been a disappointment with perhaps only 900 in the ground for the start, although that number grew later. That Somerset were playing five seamers was not a complete surprise, although some asked the perennial question of how five seamers could bowl the opposition out if four could not. Others questioned the lack of variety in the attack. There was no serious spinner, and all five seamers were right arm. It was no surprise therefore that on winning the toss Somerset elected to field. It is a decision which always sets my nerves on edge. It so often backfires, but if there was a morning on which conditions demanded it, this was that morning. Against Somerset’s unambiguous response to the conditions, Essex had selected Simon Harmer’s off spin, an extra batter who could bowl a bit and only three front-line seamers.

By the end of the seventh over, with Essex 28 for 3, Lewis Gregory’s decision seemed vindicated. The icing on the cake for Somerset was that Dean Elgar, opening in place of the now-retired Sir Alistair Cook, was already back in the Pavilion for five, leg before wicket to Josh Davey trying to flick to leg. It was not perhaps the stroke Sir Alistair would have played so early in his innings in such conditions. Nick Browne had followed an over later, bowled for nine by Craig Overton with an angled-in ball which cut in a shade further and beat the inside edge. Browne had already allowed the previous ball, which had also come in, to pass perilously close to the stumps to gasps from the crowd and a shout of, “Craig O!” Two overs later, Jordan Cox drove Overton crisply through extra cover to the Somerset Stand for four before being pushed back and edging, chest-high, to Tom Lammonby, the second of four slips, for seven. It was the perfect Somerset morning to be watching from the top of the Trescothick Pavilion.

The crowd had cheered with full throats, with chatter filling the air as the cheers subsided. Davey, from the River End, looked to be bowling with his full powers and was running in with purpose. Overton was leaving the Trescothick Pavilion in his wake as he powered in to bowl with fire. The conditions added their own contribution to the mix and the Essex innings was threatening to dissolve in disarray. Matthew Critchley’s bat had been a thorn in Somerset’s side in the past, but here the thorn was in his side. His first boundary came from an edge off Davey, a cut off Gregory was chopped into the ground, and to the next ball, he missed the cut altogether. A four was driven through mid-off but only because mid-off dived over it. Now Somerset, and the conditions, turned the screw. Critchley, on nine, pushed at a wide ball from Migael Pretorius. The ball swung further away, and Critchley edged it wide of third slip. From there Sean Dickson took off long to his right and took a stunning catch. “Good catch!” the startled response from near me with the emphasis on the ‘good’. Essex 45 for 4 with still an hour to go to lunch.

But this was to be a day in which pressure would be met by pressure. Essex began to score mainly in boundaries as they refused to wilt in the face of the Somerset bowlers. Noah Thain the new batter and Tom Westley, in since the fall of the second wicket, attacked. Thain turned Gregory to fine leg for four and Westley opened the face to Jake Ball to guide him towards the Hildreth Stand for two and then drove him through midwicket to the Ondaatje Stand for four. “He’s very strong on the leg side is Westley,” the comment. As if to confirm it, Westley drove Pretorius through mid-on to the Hildreth Stand, and in his next over turned the ball neatly off his legs, square to the Somerset Stand, “Shot! He timed that well,” the accolade. Now Thain steered Pretorius across the face of the four slips Somerset still had in place to the boundary, the point fielder not even making a token chase as he set off to retrieve the ball. And on Essex pushed, Thain driving Ball through the covers for four and Westley cutting Gregory square to the Priory Bridge Road boundary. Thirty-two runs came in six overs to take Essex to 84 for 4 in front of a steadily growing crowd.

Curiously, after Somerset’s barnstorming four-wicket start with the ball, a well-dug-out dipping yorker from Ball to Thain apart, there had been little sign of a wicket since. That changed when Ball, having just been beautifully driven through the covers for four by Thain, induced an edge. It flew low towards the gap between first and second of now three slips. Overton, from second, dived low and long to his left to take the catch. “Very good catch. Excellent wicket,” the comment. Essex 88 for 5. Thain 14. The bowlers were threatening again, but in the five remaining overs to lunch, the match seemed to take a much needed breather. Essex added just nine runs and the ball continued to beat the bat, but the edge had gone. It was as if the match was reaching for lunch. There were no more wickets, and the players walked off with the score on 97 for 5 and the top of the Trescothick Pavilion now virtually full.

The morning had consisted of push and counter push with Somerset ending in the ascendant. In contrast, the afternoon was one of attrition, but with Somerset tightening their grip. In 23 overs, Essex ground out 59 runs, barely two and a half an over, but they lost their remaining five wickets in the process. Pretorius, three wickets, benefited most, as each time Essex threatened to build a partnership one of the Somerset bowlers struck. The continuation of the pre-lunch partnership between Westley and Duke was typical of what followed. A good start highlighted by a boundary or two followed by a wicket. Gregory was driven through extra cover to the Colin Atkinson Pavilion scoreboard and Overton through the off side just inside a diving mid-on to the Trescothick Pavilion, both by Duke. But with a ball which hinted at outswing, Gregory left Westley’s off stump leaning back. Essex 111 for 6. Westley, in since the fourth over, 43. And then, another short partnership which began with two no balls in three balls from Gregory, “Another one,” said an irritated voice reflecting Gregory’s reputation for punctuating his bowling with no balls.

It was a grim battle, but the unremitting cloud of the morning had lifted, the sky was bright, and the sun was breaking through. Beyond the Lord Ian Botham Stand, the Quantocks cut a sharp profile against the lightening sky and the chatter in the ground was buoyant on the back of Somerset’s progress. Overton beating the bat of Simon Harmer twice in an over lifted the mood further as Somerset continued to pressure Essex. Only 13 runs came in the eight overs after Westley’s wicket. Six of them came from no balls, but the ball continued to beat the bat. The pressure relaxed a fraction when Josh Davey was steered between third slip and backward point to the Ondaatje boundary for four and clipped behind square towards the Somerset Stand for two. But then, with the sun bright and the shadows sharp, it tightened again as Harmer drove at a wide ball from Pretorius. The ball ghosted away late, and Harmer edged it. Rew stepped neatly towards first slip and took the catch. Essex 132 for 7. Harmer 5. Amidst the cheers someone said by way of explanation, “He’s flashed a few times.” Pressure and the moving ball tell in the end.

Then the process was repeated. Shane Snater drove at his first ball from Pretorius. The stroke was a carbon copy of Harmer’s, but the edge flew between third slip and point to just square of the Garner Gates for four. Gasps but no wicket. Another, driven straight and hard just missed Ball’s foot as he followed through. It crossed the Lord Ian Botham Stand boundary. Snater followed up with a lofted drive to cover where the fielder jumped diagonally, got a hand to the ball but couldn’t hold on. Before the over was out, there was another drive, this time missed and then a straightforward beaten bat. Watching cricket is supposed to be a relaxing occupation. Not on this day. Essex had added 37 runs since lunch, but it had taken them 18 overs, cost them two wickets and no one dared miss a ball.

Then, a third wicket. Pretorius to Duke. A huge leg before wicket appeal. Not out. “Must have got a nick,” the conclusion from the top of the Trescothick Pavilion. Off the next ball, he did get a nick. Driving, still with three slips in place, the edge went straight to Rew. Essex 145 for 8. Duke 25 in, an indication of the grinding nature of the play, nine minutes over an hour and a half or 79 balls. Then, in another testing over from Ball, Snater was beaten once and played and missed twice, the second off such an outlandish attempt at a drive that the ground dissolved into laughter. A single brought Sam Cook on strike where a hurried defensive stroke edged the ball towards first slip but too low to carry. It mattered not. Rew took off as if he had stood on a hot coal and took the catch. Essex 146 for 9. Cook 0.

An on drive for four from Snater off Pretorius was immediately followed by a beaten bat and the comment, “That’s gone away from him.” A cut square to the Caddick Pavilion boundary from Jamie Porter delayed the end, but in the next over, from Pretorius, now bowling to just two slips, Snater swung hopefully but looped the ball high over the bowler’s head to be caught by Tom Banton taking a leisurely jog across from mid-off. Essex 156 all out. Snater 13. Porter 6 not out with the ever-improving Pretorius having taken 4 for 36 in 12 overs. And with that, the players ambled off early for tea.

The early tea left 45 overs in the day. By the end of it, Essex were batting again and led by 34 runs, the nature of the play in the first two sessions re-run in the last. Only Andy Umeed and Tom Lammonby, in different styles, stood against them as, for Essex, Cook and Porter reigned supreme. It was a stunning response to Somerset’s apparent success in the first two sessions.

With the temperature now dropping markedly, Matt Renshaw was back in the Pavilion by the end of the second over. He had tried to turn Cook to leg and was caught at a shortish mid-off by Jordan Cox off a leading edge. Somerset 3 for 1. Renshaw 1. Deficit 153. Lammonby’s walk to the wicket was greeted with a shout of, “Come on Lammers.” From the start, he adopted his normal policy of leaving balls very close to his off stump. It may suit his style of play, but it is not a restful watch if you are a Somerset supporter sitting anywhere near behind the arm.

The ball was now moving noticeably, and playing and missing, beaten bats and Lammonby’s leaves became the order of the day. “A hundred lead would be good,” someone said, “It’s a different wicket to the last match.” That was demonstrably the case, and many must have thought that wishing for a hundred lead was fanciful. “Ho! Ho!” though the animated response when Sean Dickson drove Cook over long on for six. With the occasional exception since his arrival at Somerset, Dickson had played aggressively as an opener without being convincing. Now, he played and missed and suffered a leg before wicket appeal before attempting to drive Porter straight and edging directly into Harmer’s hands at second slip. Somerset 15 for 2. Dickson 10. Deficit 141. Thoughts of a hundred lead were in retreat and were replaced by the comment, “Could be a short game.” That comment was underlined when Umeed played and missed at his first ball. “That moved quite a bit,” the worried comment.

Umeed’s response was to advance down the pitch to Porter’s next ball and drive it through extra cover to the Priory Bridge Road boundary for four. Two overs later, he pulled Porter square and just cleared the Somerset Stand boundary. In between, he played out a watchful maiden to Porter. Lammonby meanwhile was settling into the intense, defensive rhythm which would form the backbone of his innings. His leaves, close to the stumps, as always caused some sharp intakes of breath. He still suffered the occasional thick edge and played and missed, but his clear intent was to sell his wicket dearly. Twelve overs into his innings, he had scored seven runs, two of those from a thick edge off Cook.

Umeed continued with intense defence and selective hitting, “He looks so much more more like an opener than Dickson,” one comment. A neat off drive off Porter towards the Colin Atkinson Pavilion brought three runs, the third very quickly run. “Don’t get run out boys,” the cautionary shout. “This game looks tight,” he might have added by way of explanation as another ball seamed away from Umeed. The usual exodus from the crowd as tea approaches had not materialised, the tension perhaps holding people back. One of their rewards was a six from Umeed pulled over midwicket to the T20 dug outs. An on drive off Snater for two towards the Ondaatje Stand brought more praise, “He’s got to open.” Snater came in for more punishment, successive on drives, one lofted, one along the ground crossed the boundary in front of the covers store to more cheers as Somerset passed 50, still two down and 104 behind Essex. Perhaps a lead of a hundred might not be entirely a pipe dream. But we had reached the high watermark of the Somerset innings. The ball still moved and selective though Umeed’s hitting was, he could not avoid finding the edge indefinitely. It was to a defensive stroke that he lost his wicket, edging Cook straight to Harmer at second slip. Somerset 53 for 3. Deficit 103. Umeed, 31 in 40 minutes, was applauded off the field.

Tom Banton was back in the Caddick Pavilion almost before he had arrived at the crease. Having edged his first ball, from Cook, past the four slips to the Trescothick Pavilion for four, he tried to turn his third to leg and was caught by Critchley at third slip off the back of the bat. Somerset 61 for 4. Banton 4. Deficit 95. James Rew soon followed. First, he succeeded in turning Porter to leg, the bat simply waiting for the ball without moving, propelling it along the ground to the Somerset Stand boundary. Porter’s next ball, he attempted to defend, missed, ball struck pad, and Porter’s ecstatic appeal ended with the umpire’s finger raised. Somerset 66 for 5. Rew 4. Deficit 90. When Lewis Gregory played and missed at the next ball, the appeal was just as exultant, but this time the finger remained unmoved. The crowd cheered the decision, but Somerset had lost three wickets in five overs for 13 runs and Essex were on the rampage.

Lammonby was still battling, 15 not out after 21 overs and not a single boundary. Still he was leaving the ball very close to the off stump, still faces winced as he did so and still his stumps remained intact. Rew’s wicket was followed by four probing, pressurising overs from Cook and Porter in which Somerset added only two singles, one to each batter, with Gregory being beaten twice as he tried to establish himself. A three driven through the covers to the Somerset Stand off the back foot by Lammonby broke Essex’s grip for a moment, Snater replacing Cook at the River End, but then we were back to balls being left and defended and runs being eked out in frugally taken singles.

Thain replaced Porter and suddenly there was a flurry of runs from Lammonby and Gregory aided by three no balls. Lammonby drove Snater straight to the Lord Ian Botham Stand for his first four and Thain through extra cover for two. Gregory glanced Snater for two and Thain through extra cover for two and four. Twenty runs came in three overs and the quiet which followed the departure of Banton and Rew was briefly banished by applause and cheers. Somerset 93 for 5. Deficit 63. That brought Cook and Porter back into the attack nine and seven overs respectively after they had been taken out of it which emphasised how much Essex were relying on them. With his first ball, Porter was through Gregory’s attempted glance and appealing for leg before wicket. Somerset 95 for 6. Gregory 9 in eight minutes short of an hour. Deficit 61.

Lammonby pressed on, patience again his watchword. Overton joined him and there was no doubting his intent. Cook and Porter were quickly driven through the covers and Porter pulled through midwicket to the Somerset Stand for four. Lammonby followed up with his second boundary of the innings, driven off Cook through the off side, perfectly bisecting cover and mid-off, the cover fielder diving and just failing to reach the ball and the chasing mid-off fielder just failing to stop it running under the covers. Overton then took a huge swing at Porter to huge laughter from the crowd as he missed, the appeal for a catch behind being denied. At the next ball he launched a drive, and this time connected with the edge from where the ball flew like lightning, but straight into Critchley’s midriff at third slip. Somerset 121 for 7. Overton 16 from 15 balls. Deficit 35.

And then, as thoughts turned to whether Somerset could match Essex’s first innings 156, there were three catches in seven balls. First Lammonby, for 38 in 11 minutes short of three hours, caught by Dean Elgar at first slip trying to keep out another ball from Porter, a catch as straightforward as slip catches are and five wickets for a jubilant Porter. Then Pretorius, cramped by Cook while attempting an off drive, also caught by Elgar at first slip for 1. And, finally, Ball, caught behind two balls later for 0 playing an indeterminate waft at Cook. Somerset 128 all out. Five wickets each to Cook and Porter without whom things might have looked very different. Deficit 28, extended to 34 when Cook, promoted to open for the single over remaining, quietly drove a Davey no ball square to the Caddick Pavilion boundary to confirm Essex’s halfway edge.

Close. Essex 156 (T. Westley 43, M. Pretorius 4-36) and 6-0. Somerset 128 (J.A. Porter 5-37, S.J. Cook 5-38). Essex lead by 34 runs with ten second innings wickets standing.