County Championship 2025. Division 1. Warwickshire v Somerset. 22^nd, 23^rd, 24^th and 24th^th June. Edgbaston.

Lewis Gregory was unavailable for selection due to being on paternity leave.

Warwickshire. A.L. Davies (c), R.M. Yates, T.W.M. Latham, S.R. Hain, J.G. Bethell, E.G. Barnard, K. Smith (w), E.R. Bamber, C.J. Rocchiccioli, C.B. Simmons, O.J.Hannon-Dalby.

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

Overnight. Somerset 327 for 3.

Second day – A match falling asleep

Halfway through the morning session, Somerset were on top of the world, or at least they were on top of this match. They were 390 for 3 with Tom Lammonby and Tom Abell at the crease. The pair had added 63 runs in the 18 overs thus far bowled in the morning, one run short of three an over. It had been, for Somerset supporters, a measured display of classical batting without a hint of a chance. The match was at Somerset’s mercy, at least as far as any match is at any side’s mercy which uses the Kookaburra ball in English conditions on a pitch such as the one prepared for this match, seemingly fit to do service in perpetuity on the Elysian Fields. Indeed, Lammonby and Abell were playing with such measured control that it was not difficult for the imagination to see them batting through that Elysian eternity or at least opening up the route to a Somerset score in the region of 600. And then, suddenly, as if someone had punctured the dream and reminded them that a fifth bonus point was available if they could score 60 runs in the seven overs remaining before the end of the 110^th over, the ball was suddenly being catapulted rather than coaxed off the bat.

But before that, another run-in with that omnipresent god of the modern age, the digital transaction. After spending the first morning sorting out a replacement for my forgotten phone charger so that I could access my ticket, I thought I had everything lined up to get through the Edgbaston entrance problem-free. I had. Some others were not so well prepared. I arrived behind two people who had not bought tickets in advance and had just gone through the, now usual, process of being politely interrogated on their name, address, hat size, and anything else that ‘the system’ pops up before a paper ticket can be purchased. At Edgbaston, the ticket desk is in the Edgbaston shop which forms one of the entrances to the ground with the ground entrance door three yards away from the desk. “Not recognised,” said the steward on the door as he pointed his ‘device’ at the tickets – whether bar code or QR code I didn’t see. “I’ve just bought them,” the bemused response. “Ah,” the knowing reply, “That’s the problem. It takes a while for the purchase to work its way through the system.” What visions that produced of a digital purchase diligently working its way through the Edgbaston ticketing system. Whatever were clubs thinking of in days of yore when all you had to do was hand over your money, take the proffered ticket, no questions asked, show it to the steward and walk through the gate? And you didn’t spend all day panicking about being out of contact with your entire family, list of friends and anyone else that took your fancy if you left your phone at home. 

As I took my seat high in the Hollies Stand, the sky was overcast, although the sun put in an appearance later, and in the seemingly endlessly warm summer of 2025 there was a chill on the breeze. Oh, the joy of that breeze. The crowd, around 400 visible in the stands at the start by my rough count, were mainly gathered around and stretching out on either side of the sight screens. The Hollies Stand meanwhile had its usual dozen or so embedded stalwarts seated like sentinels watching over some far-flung frontier.

In front of us, we had all the hallmarks of a steady Lammonby-Abell partnership. The studied Lammonby leave, bat held horizontally over the flight of the ball, the ball sometimes seeming to pass impossibly close to the stumps. It causes the Somerset heart to miss a beat, but Lammonby is the master of the close leave. Then there was the uncompromising defence of Abell, bringing visions of ‘They shall not pass’ being emblazoned across his chest. The quiet periods were marked by the occasional, precisely placed single. Boundaries came from time to time, and twice, two came in an over. Off Oliver Hannon-Dalby, a typically smoothly struck cover drive from Lammonby was followed by a firm but understated straight drive. Then, off Corey Rocchiccioli, a four, cut sharply through backward point and a slightly tucked up pull which flew through midwicket to the Hollies Stand.

The sudden change in approach, when it came, seemingly triggered by the onrushing bonus point deadline, changed the shape of the match. Abell and Lammonby swept and reverse swept Corey Rocchiccioli for four three times in an over and Abell followed the sweeps with a back foot cover drive which crossed the rope in front of the Hollies Stand. But then, as if upended by the sudden change in rhythm, off the final ball of the over, with the score on 407 for 3 and with four fielders on the boundary, Abell pulled Rocchiccioli towards straight midwicket. The dream was over, and Rob Yates took a straightforward catch. Somerset 407 for 4. Abell 48. It was a watershed moment in the innings, for that pull signalled the disintegration of the remainder of the Somerset innings.

Lammonby’s innings was another casualty of the sudden race for 450. Lammonby may race when there is a fixed target, but his class remains intact. Twice in an over, Simmons was sent to the boundary, once off a perfectly controlled steer past the slips played with a magical touch, and once, off the smoothest of pulls to long leg. But, with 25 still needed from three overs, Lammonby overreached himself. With five fielders on the boundary, he played and missed at Bamber and, off the next ball, miscued a drive straight to Alex Davies at mid-off. Somerset 425 for 5. Lammonby 133 in 19 minutes over four hours. Lammonby’s innings had been played against a background of time-consuming consultations among the Warwickshire fielders, despite both teams still being within striking distance of the Championship leaders. As Lammonby walked off it was noticeable that the only parts of the ground which offered extensive applause were the small enclaves of Somerset supporters and those watching from in front of the Warwickshire members lounge in the Pavilion.

Tom Banton had joined Lammonby at the fall of Abell and joined the pursuit of the fifth batting point at a run a ball. But, with 19 still needed from two overs and with five fielders on the boundary it was beyond even him. He and Archie Vaughan pushed singles, some run very quickly, but at the end of the 110^th over Somerset were 436 for 5 with lunch approaching. With the help of a four, swept by Vaughan off Yates, which bounced through the hands of short fine leg, the pair eased Somerset to lunch on 446 for 5, an overall run rate of 3.9 runs per over, maintaining that achieved on the first day.

After my habitual lunchtime circumnavigation of the ground, Warwickshire members having been invited to attend a forum on the future structure of county cricket, Somerset began settling into the afternoon with ten singles against the slow left arm spin of Yates and the off spin of Jacob Bethell. Then, both Banton and Vaughan were out in the space of five balls as they tried to accelerate. Banton unleashed a straight drive against Bethell which a wild imagination would have seen clearing Edgbaston’s multi-storey Pavilion. Instead, it steepled towards the heavens and was caught by Davies running from mid-on and positioning himself a pitch length behind the non-striker’s end umpire. Vaughan attempted to sweep Yates and, a replay shows, was palpably leg before wicket. The replays also show little appreciable turn for either bowler. Somerset 458 for 7. Banton 26. Vaughan 14. Three balls after the departure of Vaughan, Migael Pretorius pushed at a wide ball from Yates and edged it straight to Tom Latham at slip. Somerset 460 for 8. Pretorius 1. Any thoughts of  600 had evaporated in the course of the hour which straddled the lunch interval.

Craig Overton and Jack Leach took Somerset a further 27 runs on in 11 overs of occasional singles and twos with just one four, a classic Overton off drive off Yates. It was one of Overton’s more watchful innings. The partnership ended when Leach reverse swept Bethell straight into the hands of Latham at slip. Somerset 487 for 9. Leach 11. Three overs later, the innings ended when Matt Henry was caught by Sam Hain on the wide long on boundary while trying to launch Yates over it. Somerset 498. Henry 7. Overton 21 not out. Most Somerset supporters would probably have settled for 498 when Kohler-Cadmore and Davey walked out on the first morning, but after systematically progressing at nearly four runs an over to 390 for 3, 498 seemed to fall short.

Facing 498, Warwickshire set about establishing their innings against Henry, Birmingham End, and Davey, Pavilion End, followed by Pretorius and Overton. In the hour to tea, they added 48 runs for the loss of Yates, caught by Rew diving down the leg side off an attempted flick behind square off Pretorius. Warwickshire 33 for 1. Yates 17, 12 of those coming in boundaries, all driven through the covers. Again, there was no applause beyond the Somerset enclaves and a few in the Pavilion at the end of Pretorius’s over. It was a solid enough start for Warwickshire. The wicket apart, there were few alarums for the batters except an edge over the slips from Davies off Davey. As Davies played out the final over before tea, the first signs of fielders feeling the need to encourage their bowlers came from Abell, “Come on Craig O!” the shout.

Another circumnavigation in the tea interval included a detour into the bar at the back of the Wyatt Stand. It proved to be an unsuccessful foray. I was in pursuit of a hot chocolate to help combat the chill wind which had developed from the cool breeze of the morning, at least in the shade of the upper reaches of the Hollies Stand. The long, warm summer has taken its casualties – there was no hot chocolate. That brought thoughts of Somerset’s final match of the season, the Championship fixture at Chelmsford, scheduled to take place after the autumn equinox. I sincerely hoped that the order for hot chocolate supplies had been placed.

Hot chocolate or no, I ambled my way around the remainder of my circumnavigation ignoring the chill and catching as many glimpses of the cricket as I could. Overton and Pretorius opened the bowling, but soon Leach was bowling from the Pavilion End. His first over proved troublesome to Latham, who had replaced Yates, as the first over of a spinner often does. After that, the impression was of the ball causing few problems but the batters playing with caution. In the ten overs it took me to work my way around the rest of the ground, they scored 13 runs to take Warwickshire to 61 for 1 in the 23^rd over, 437 runs behind Somerset.

From there, we had either flurries or droughts of runs. Perhaps crucially though, Somerset missed two clear chances, and another was devilishly close. As I sat down, Latham reverse-swept Leach, got the finest of touches, Overton dived behind Rew but the ball was deflected off Rew’s body leaving Overton clutching air. It would have been a phenomenal catch without the deflection. Impossible with it. Five overs later, Davies drove Overton through the off side to the Hollies Stand twice in two balls, and Latham swept Leach through midwicket to the Hollies Stand before registering the fifty partnership with a drive off Pretorius into the off side for a single.

When the score reached 93 for 1, Davies cut Pretorius, bowling from the Birmingham End, through backward point. As Vaughan moved, then dived for the catch, Pretorius began his celebration. The celebration ended just as his feet were about to leave the ground. The ball had gone through Vaughan’s hands, and the batters ran two while it was retrieved. Vaughan kicked the ground, angry with himself, and Abell ran over to give him a commiserative pat on the back. An over later, another chance. With the score on 101 for 1, Latham advanced down the pitch to defend against Leach, missed the ball, and so did Rew, the ball striking his pads and falling to earth. Overton, crouched at slip, was left with his head in his hands reflecting the sunken pit of the stomach, I imagine, of every Somerset supporter in the ground.

After the flurry of chances, albeit one of them barely a half chance, Warwickshire settled into a phase of free-flowing, trouble-free batting. Latham was employing the paddle sweep to good effect, frequently taking singles from it and finding the boundary with two square drives, one each off Pretorius and Henry, and a deft late cut off Henry between the only slip and gully. He followed it immediately with another which registered his fifty from 95 balls. Davies was slightly less adventurous but a straight drive, cut off on the rope by some excellent fielding brought him three, and his fifty from 109 balls. Those two fifties and the bevvy of fours which accompanied them brought Warwickshire 56 runs in the ten most productive ten overs of their afternoon.

And then, with Henry, Overton, Leach and Vaughan bowling the final 13 overs to the close, Warwickshire added only another 17 runs entirely in singles. They took no chances and gave none. No bat was beaten, no aggressive shot attempted or missed, or perhaps more accurately, no shots were played, at least none which threatened the boundary. And so, the day quietly went to sleep. By the close, against the 3.9 runs per over of the Somerset innings, the Warwickshire one was proceeding at 3.0. Only eleven wickets had fallen in two days with Somerset’s missed chances unlikely to have had any material impact on proceedings. Despite both sides needing a win to have a chance of closing the gap on the Championship leaders, a combination of the lifelessness of the Kookaburra ball and of the pitch had produced a match with ‘draw’ written all over it.

Close. Somerset 498 (T.A. Lammonby 133, T. Kohler-Cadmore 104, J.H. Davey 64, R.M. Yates 3-74). Warwickshire 158 for 1. Warwickshire trail by 340 with nine first innings wickets standing.