County Championship 2025. Division 1. Somerset v Sussex. 16^th, 17^th and 18^th May. Taunton.

Somerset. L. Gregory (c), J.H. Davey, T.A. Lammonby, J.E.K. Rew (w), T.B. Abell, T. Banton, A.M. Vaughan, C. Overton, M. Pretorius, M.J. Henry, M.J. Leach.

Sussex. D.P. Hughes, T.J. Haines, T.G.R. Clark, T.P. Alsop, J.M. Coles, J.A. Simpson (c) (w), F.J. Hudson-Prentice, J.J. Carson, N.J. McAndrew, O.E. Robinson, J.P.H. Hayes. .

Overnight. Somerset 338. Sussex 152 and 127 for 4.

Sussex trail by 59 runs with six second innings wickets standing.

Final day  – “The fair breeze blew …”

“The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew, the furrow followed free.” Those words are written in white letters two feet high on the wall of Watchet harbour. They come from the pen of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, onetime resident of those same Quantock Hills that overlook the County Ground. The words are to be found in the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, a tale as full of hope and woe as Somerset’s long quest for the County Championship and were written while Coleridge lived at Nether Stowey on the sea-facing side of the Quantocks. As I stood opposite those words on the day after this match, they stared me full in the face. As I looked back at them, it struck me that, isolated from the grim tale of the rest of the poem, they fitted perfectly with the image created by Lewis Gregory’s sublime innings as he led Somerset through the final afternoon and evening of this match to a stunning victory.

It was an innings in which the ball indeed followed free as Gregory’s bat flew. It was perfectly played by a captain intent on winning a match which Somerset had dominated, but which, as they began their chase, threatened to unravel before the eyes of what became a final day crowd. Three drives in particular stayed long in the memory and encapsulated the majestic nature of the innings. By then, the match was all but over, but Gregory unfurled his bat with all the grandeur of the ship in the poem cutting through the expanse of the ocean. All three drives raced unerringly to the boundary, twice through mid-off to Gimblett’s Hill and once through extra cover to the Somerset Stand. They took Somerset to within eight runs of victory but stood on their own, gloriously, above the fray.

Nearly eight hours before, the day had begun with Sussex 59 runs behind Somerset and four second innings wickets down. “Full price!” someone complained of the admission charge, little knowing what a bargain they had obtained. It didn’t seem so after the seventh ball of the day. Craig Overton, who had bowled like a man possessed in this match, found the edge of Tom Alsop’s bat and Gregory took the catch at first slip, the movement of his hands as smooth as the strokes that were to follow in his innings. Sussex 129 for 5. Alsop 8. Four balls later, James Coles played the ball to midwicket and he and James Hayes, on nightwatch, set off for a quick single. Not quickly enough. Tom Banton, at midwicket, picked up the ball and in a flash the middle stump at the striker’s end lay flat on the ground with Hayes visibly short of the crease. The raising of the umpire’s finger followed bringing an explosion of cheering in its wake. Sussex 129 for 6. Hayes 2. Deficit 57 with the unhappy ticket holder seemingly having a point.

The ground was buzzing, but walking to the wicket was John Simpson, the same John Simpson who had piled on the agony for Somerset with a second innings century at Hove in April. Simpson played and missed at his second ball, from Overton, and then edged Henry just short of Overton at second slip. Coles had a similar escape against Henry and the crowd bubbled with anticipation. But when Coles cut Overton through backward point to the Priory Bridge Road boundary the ball came off the bat with an ominously sharp crack. Four well-struck drives to the boundary from Coles and Simpson off Pretorius and Davey followed, and thoughts began to form that the wicket might be easing as it is inclined to do on the third day. Jack Leach was tried from the River End in place of Davey, but the Sussex batting looked untroubled. Emphasising that, a slog sweep for four from Coles to the Somerset Stand took the partnership with Simpson to 56, Sussex to 186 for 6 and into the lead.

And then, some relief. Coles, with the ball apparently doing nothing, chipped Leach towards Tom Lammonby at mid-off. Lammonby had to make a few steps, but the catch was never in doubt. There was no energy in the stroke, as if Coles had had second thoughts as he launched it. Sussex 195 for 7. Coles 39. Sussex lead 9. Coles had pushed the door ajar for Somerset. He walked off with his head hung as low as Coleridge’s Mariner had hung his when the crew placed the albatross around his neck, and with probably the same desperate feelings. The door was almost pushed further ajar at the start of the next over when Simpson pushed Pretorius to mid-on and set off for the quickest of singles. Again, the fielder hit the stumps, but Simpson was home, although there can have been no more than millimetres in it. It was the third direct hit of the Sussex innings. But now frustration set in for Somerset as Fynn Hudson-Prentice and Simpson steered Sussex safely to lunch on 224 for 7. Simpson 32. Hudson-Prentice 21. Sussex lead 38.

    The lunch interval began with a reminder of Somerset’s recent past through a presentation to Roelof van der Merwe. Van der Merwe had finished playing for Somerset in 2024 after spending 2011 with the Club before returning permanently in 2016. The high point of his career was a match-winning innings of 165 not out in a 50-over cup match against Surrey at Taunton in 2017. I had been fortunate enough to be sitting in the top of the Old Pavilion, the historic forerunner of the Trescothick Pavilion, when Van der Merwe came to the crease with Somerset on 22 for 5 chasing over 290. Still clear in my mind’s eye is an image of Kumar Sangakkara dropping him at slip off his first ball. It was a chance Sangakkara would probably have taken 19 times out of 20. The ball flew straight at his chest, was met by both hands and dropped to the ground like a stone. From there, a typical van der Merwe whirligig of an innings followed. Or, as Coleridge’s poem might have had it, the white foam flew. I have no doubt that, as the presentation was made, that innings was in the mind of every person in the ground who was there on that day. It epitomised van der Merwe’s career with Somerset. Optimism, enthusiasm and ingenuity with bat, ball and in the field. I doubt he ever walked to the wicket, took the ball, caught it or threw it without the manner of his doing it bringing a smile to every Somerset face in the ground. For whatever follows for him in the future, may a fair breeze blow.

After lunch, Simpson and Hudson-Prentice dug in. Only 29 runs, with five of those coming from a strike on the helmets stored behind the keeper, and no boundaries came in the first 13 overs as Davey, Leach and Lammonby took Somerset towards the new ball. A bouncer to Hudson-Prentice from Overton with the new ball made no impact. Gradually, Sussex became more assertive. Simpson, who had scored steadily throughout, went to fifty with a top edged pull off Henry which flew towards the Trescothick Pavilion, bounced fine of the fine leg fielder and ran for four. It raised Sussex’s lead to 72. Not yet a concern for Somerset, but with the Sussex batters looking in control, thoughts of the final day of the Worcestershire game began to rouse themselves.

An indication of the ease with which Sussex were batting came when Hudson-Prentice pushed Matt Henry through midwicket with no power, but enough timing for the ball to reach the Somerset Stand. At the other extreme, a hook was all power as he landed Henry in the seventh row of the Stand at long leg. Then, with the new ball apparently having no effect, Henry went past Hudson-Prentice’s defensive push and knocked his off stump flat. It was a typical Henry wicket, appearing as if out of nowhere. That had Somerset celebrating and the crowd cheering. The credit though was claimed by a distant listener. “That one is down to me. First ball after I switched on the radio,” read the text. At the ground, the crowd was alive with anticipation, for, if slowly, the walls of the Sussex defence were coming down.

Nathan McAndrew was not deterred. In three overs he struck four boundaries, two coming in one over from Henry, a drive through extra cover to the Colin Atkinson scoreboard and a glance, perfectly executed to Gimblett’s Hill. But his bat was passed too, and when a top edged pull fell just out of Henry’s reach as he followed through, Abell shouted, “Come on Henners!” In the end, constant pressure from the Somerset bowlers told, and Henry had his man, beaten in defence and caught behind. Sussex 291 for 9. McAndrew 16 from 14 balls. With the pitch playing well and a lead of only 105, there was little chance of Sussex staving off defeat, but Simpson is not one to cede, and he and last man Robinson battled on.  

Henry continued to keep the ball up and, as Sussex refused to give ground, was driven in return, although not without risk. Simpson drove him through the covers to the Somerset Stand, but an inside edge reached the Trescothick Pavilion. Robinson miscued an off drive but it reached Gimblett’s Hill and took Sussex to 300 for 5. When Somerset put the field back to offer singles to try to get or keep Robinson on strike Sussex took them. But in the end, the inevitable happened. Robinson came forward to Leach and was caught by Overton at second slip for 18. Simpson was left not out on 82 from 165 balls in 12 minutes under four hours, and Somerset needed 150 to win.

With tea taken, Somerset set out with the same experimental opening partnership as in the first innings. This time, Robinson almost struck in the first over. His second ball, to Gregory, defeated a defensive push and was edged straight to first slip. The catch was taken, and Robinson began to celebrate until he turned and saw the umpire’s arm at the horizontal. His third ball passed perilously close to the edge and was also called no ball. Somerset supporters were gulping deep breaths of relief, but before long they were staring wide-eyed at the middle. In Robinson’s next over, his second ball speared in on Davey’s off stump, Davey defended inside the line and the ball crashed into his stumps. It looked a spearing delivery from the top of the Trescothick Pavilion and Somerset, courtesy of those two no balls and an edged four from Gregory off McAndrew were 11 for 1. Davey 2. Runs still required 139. Two balls later, Lammonby tried to play Robinson into the leg side, the ball swung in, passed inside the bat and Lammonby was palpably leg before wicket. Somerset 11 for 2. Lammonby 0. Runs required 139. Silence.

Somerset stuck with their first innings batting order and Rew joined Gregory. When Gregory pushed McAndrew to extra cover for a single, the crowd applauded and the person next to me said, “We are already at the point of the crowd clapping every run.” The point was emphasised when Rew ran three from a thick edge towards the Colin Atkinson Pavilion. As Rew and Gregory sprinted the length of the pitch three times the applause followed them every step of the way. A thick edge from Gregory was stopped by a diving gully fielder but Rew and Gregory had completed the single before the ball was in the keeper’s gloves. A straight driven two from Gregory brought more applause. A ball later, “Beautiful shot!” someone purred as Gregory played a late cut off McAndrew, the news of it crossing the Trescothick Pavilion boundary reaching those of us in the elevated section through the cheers of those below. Somerset 29 for 2 in the sixth over.

By the end of the over they were 30 for 3. Rew had attempted to cut a ball too wide for the stroke and edged McAndrew to Simpson. Rew 6. Runs required 120. “I don’t know what that shot was about,” said the person next to me as the ground went anxiously quiet. Within two balls, Gregory had roused the crowd again with a drive through extra cover off Robinson which crossed the boundary in front of the Brian Rose Gates. It was not so much the four runs that caught the eye, but the perfectly timed stroke and the ball smoothly flowing across the outfield.

Abell had replaced Rew, and while Gregory was scoring, he was defending. Between balls the ground was quiet, tense. Abell added to the tension by not scoring from his first 24 balls spread across 12 overs. With Gregory whittling away at the target Somerset reached 50 for 3, but victory was still 100 runs away, Abell finally broke his duck with a cut off Hudson-Prentice through backward point for four. “Hooray!” the shout among the cheers as the ball crossed the Ondaatje boundary. Now, both batters were taking the score forward. Every run was still being applauded with silence still holding the ground between balls. “Shot!” someone shouted as Gregory swept Carson to the Priory Bridge Road boundary. “Shot!” again when Abell turned Coles off his toes to the Somerset Stand. Between the fours, singles were now coming at the rate of two or three an over. “Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!” the call when Gregory pushed Carson to extra cover for another. “Halfway,” someone said when Abell played a soft open face drive to cover to take the score to 75 for 3.

Another sweetly played extra cover drive for two from Gregory off Coles took him to his fifty from 73 balls. Somerset 81 for 3. Sixty-nine needed. Extended applause for Gregory as a few conversations broke the quiet between balls. Then, with 52 needed, Abell defended against Coles, the ball turned, and he edged it to Haines at slip. Somerset 98 for 4. Abell 27. Quiet again. Tom Banton to the wicket. Now Gregory’s ability to take hold of a game, and to do it with panache and style, came into its own. He had held the innings together from the moment he was caught off that first over no ball. Now, he drove it forward. McAndrew replaced Carson, Gregory angled his bat, waited for the ball and eased it perfectly, and without effort, past the three slips to the Hildreth Stand for four. With McAndrew reduced to two slips, Gregory reached for a drive. The ball flew smoothly off the bat through extra cover to the Somerset Stand for four with ten in total coming from the over. Somerset’s target reduced to 42.

Any rational calculation would have concluded that the match was all but over. But watching cricket is not a rational occupation and there was still a tense quiet between balls as Gregory and Banton withdrew into intense defence, awaiting their opportunity. Runs were restricted too by Sussex employing sweepers on both square boundaries. After five overs produced six runs, 33 were still needed. Eventually, Gregory, spotting an opportunity to break out, played the glance against Coles. And missed. “Ohhh!” the virtually unanimous verdict before the silence returned. Then, a slog sweep for four off Carson. Even the slog sweep, as he sank into it, looked a work of art. Now, a reverse sweep from Banton off Coles took Somerset four closer. Runs required 24. But it still wasn’t over. Banton drove Coles to cover, miscued and was caught. Somerset 130 for 5. Banton 15. Runs required 20.

Now time was ticking too and the umpires signalled the extra half hour. It allowed those three majestic drives in four balls from Gregory and Somerset needed eight to win. “Well done, Lewis!” rang out amidst the cheers. Those drives were the sort of dismissive strokes that always seem to come when a match has finally, irretrievably, slipped beyond the bowling side’s reach. With five needed, Archie Vaughan took a hand and lofted Carson over midwicket to the Ondaatje Stand for four before Gregory finished the game by turning Coles into the onside for the final single.  

“You’ve missed your train,” said the man behind me. “I know. Can’t miss the end of something like this though, can you?” replied the woman next to him. It had been that sort of day. Simpson’s rearguard for Sussex. Robinson and McAndrew threatening to puncture Somerset’s victory drive before it had got started. And then Gregory’s masterful innings which guided Somerset to victory. In retrospect the result seemed inevitable. But for much of the day, the tension defied rationality, so uncertain are cricket’s outcomes. But in the end, for all the other performances which contributed to the day-long tussle, it was Gregory’s innings which transcended the day as, from his bat, the fair breeze blew, the white foam flew, the furrow followed free.

Result. Somerset 338 (A.M. Vaughan 80, T.A. Lammonby 60, J.E.K. Rew 46, N.J. McAndrew 4-71, O.E. Robinson 3-70) and 150 for 5 (L. Gregory 89*). Sussex 152 (M. Pretorius 3-24, C. Overton 3-30) and 335 f/o (J.A. Simpson 82*, T.J. Haines 50, F.J. Hudson-Prentice 41, M.J. Leach 4-51, M.J. Henry 3-90. Somerset won by five wickets. Somerset 21 points. Sussex 3 points