County Championship 2026. Somerset v Sussex. May 15^th, 16^th, 17^th and 18^th. Taunton.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore (thumb), Tom Banton (finger) and Lewis Goldsworthy (hamstring) were unavailable for selection.

Jordan Hermann made his Somerset debut.

Somerset. J.G. Hermann, J.F. Thomas, T.A. Lammonby, J.E.K. Rew (w), T.B. Abell, A.M. Vaughan, C. Overton, L. Gregory (c), M. Pretorius, M.J. Leach, A.R.J. Ogborne.

Sussex. T.J. Haines, DP Hughes, T.G.R. Clark, J.A. Leaning, J.M. Coles, J.A. Simpson (w), C.J. Tear, F.J. Hudson-Prentice, J.J. Carson, O.E. Robinson (c), H.T. Crocombe. 

Overnight. Somerset 335 for 5.

Second day – Abell and Overton take control

“That’s got to be … Surely …” was the comment from behind me in the lower section of the Trescothick Pavilion. But it wasn’t. Craig Overton had just struck a lofted drive towards the Trescothick Pavilion sightscreen about a pitch length to my left. The ball seemed destined to carry for six. Overton was on 95, but as the ball approached it began to die and landed a couple of yards short of the rope before bouncing into the sightscreen. Overton was en route to his third first-class century, Somerset were not far short of 500 and the hopes of their supporters that they might start to leave the disappointments of the two previous matches, at Taunton and Cardiff, behind them were rising. Overton had begun the day on 26, batting with Tom Abell who began on 74. When that ball failed to cross the rope, Abell had not long been dismissed, having reached his own century, and the question on people’s lips was, “When will we declare?”

It had taken some time for Overton to get to the cusp of a century and that attempt to reach it with a six. That was not due to any tardiness in Overton’s stoke play but to that bane of the cricket watcher’s, and cricketer’s, life, rain. I had spent the morning sitting in the elevated section of the Trescothick Pavilion, but after three short passages of play before lunch with rain breaks in between, a period of persistent rain prevented any play until twenty-five minutes past four. By the time the players went off early for lunch, the sky had filled in and by three o’clock, and with prospects of play seemingly evaporating, most spectators had left the ground. Most of those who remained were gloomy about the prospects of a restart, but some cricket supporters are ingrained with an ability to live in hope whatever the evidence against them.  

I was one of those who left the ground, in my case for my bus, only for the rain to stop when I reached the bus stop. Never one to avoidably miss an over of Championship cricket, I let the bus go and waited by the bus stop to see if the rain returned. As I waited, I watched the sky and the ground. The sky remained recalcitrant, but the paving slabs began to dry. “A drying wind,” the thought. I let the next bus go and went for a walk around the town, watching the sky and the paving slabs as I went. With the next bus due, I checked my phone. “Inspection at four o’clock,” said the online scorecard. I forgot the bus, headed for the ground and looked through the Brian Rose Gates. All the covers were off except for that insurance against a sudden shower, the matting roll covering the pitch itself. And so, to the lower level of the Trescothick Pavilion while the rest of the ground was virtually deserted. I was welcomed by the announcement, “If there is no further rain, play will resume at four twenty-five. Thirty-six overs to be bowled.” Somerset’s drainage had done its job.

Before that, in the rain-interrupted morning, Abell and Overton had done their job. There were only four overs before the first rain break, but in that time, they had added the 15 runs needed to take Somerset to 350 for 5 and their third batting point and a loud cheer. Batting had not been without risk. Four of the runs had come off Henry Crocombe from the inside edge of Overton’s bat, and four more when Abell jabbed down on a yorker from Tom Clark causing the ball to scoot along the ground between second slip and gully. That four also registered the fifty partnership from 83 balls before the first intervention from the rain sent the players off.

The rain was not heavy, but it could be seen spreading along the length of the Quantocks and people moved from the front, uncovered part of the elevated section of the Trescothick Pavilion, to the back and umbrellas began to appear in the open stands. A text came from an online watcher, “The ball was moving a lot before they went off.” A number of edges and some beaten bats had testified to that. The Quantocks disappeared and reappeared and then the covers began to come off. Fifteen overs were lost, but eight added to the end of the day. From there, a frustrating morning continued, and the players were off again within five overs, but not before Abell and Overton had made the most of them, adding another 25 runs to Somerset’s mounting total.

Overton was to the fore in the run scoring, but Abell provided a secure base from which Overton could sally forth. He was particularly effective against Crocombe, driving him through the covers to the Somerset Stand and, four balls later, clipping him neatly off his toes through midwicket to the Ondaatje Stand. In Crocombe’s next over Overton pulled him to fine leg for four more. The stroke of that short phase of play, however, came from Abell with a spectacular cover drive off Clark to the Priory Bridge Road boundary before Overton turned him to midwicket for the single which registered his fifty and brought appreciative applause.

And then, with Somerset on 375 for 5, more rain, very light, but rain. The sort of virtually imperceptible rain which brings, often noisy, frustration to spectators who think play should continue, and a headache to umpires who are charged with ensuring the pitch does not get wet if the rain continues. This time, the rain toyed with the umpires. They were halfway off the field when it appeared to stop, or at least, three quarters of the way to the Caddick Pavilion, the umpires stopped. The ground staff meanwhile lost no time, quickly covering the pitch with the matting cover and one white sheet. As the umpires hovered, some in the crowd began a slow handclap. A few looks at the sky and a few jeers followed before the umpires waved the covers off, the players back on while the cheers became ironic. And then, with the umpires in place, there was what seemed and interminable wait for the Sussex team who had disappeared into their dressing room. So long was the wait that eyes turned towards the empty Caddick Pavilion steps. “Time them out!” the call from the top of the Trescothick Pavilion, but eventually the Sussex tream reappeared and three more overs had been lost.

And then, spectator frustration piled on spectator frustration. After two more overs, the rain came in again. Those two overs though produced 19 runs, Overton again leading the Somerset charge. He scored 12 of those 19 runs, six of them when he pulled Crocombe into the third row of the closed Priory Bridge Road Stand just after he had executed a flowing cut which raced to the Somerset Stand boundary. Then, with the rain returning, Abell ended the morning with a boundary of his own, driven through the covers to the Priory Bridge Road Stand to a cry of. “Shot!” And that was the end of the cricket for almost four hours and the gradual drift of spectators away from the ground began. Somerset 394 for 5 with three overs remaining in which to gain a fourth batting point.

When the game finally restarted, those 36 overs remained. Abell quickly took Somerset to 400 and the fourth batting point when he pushed Hudson-Prentice to mid-off for a single. With the light dimming and the floodlights casting four clear shadows, Abell drove Crocombe to midwicket for a another single and registered his century, the 23^rd of his first-class career and his 19^th for Somerset, from 171 balls. When the applause for Abell died down, someone said of Sussex, “Three balls to get a wicket,” referring to Somerset’s sixth wicket and the prospect of a second bowling point for Sussex if they could take it before the end of the over. “Well played Craig O,” the shout after he had played out those three balls.

And with that, the sky brightened and the shadows from the floodlights disappeared. The Somerset score began to move too, 30 runs coming from the next six overs. There were boundaries, Overton taking two in an over from Crocombe and Abell driving Coles emphatically through cover to the Caddick Pavilion. What gave the sense of momentum though was the succession of softly driven controlled singles, often placed to beat the infield and be fielded without threat by a boundary fielder. Once, a quick single did follow a call of, “Yeah, come on,” but the overall sense was of Somerset calmly, but positively pushing their score along with Overton moving into the 80s and Somerset’s score towards 450.

And then, as the sun came out and with the pair seemingly untroubled, Abell drove the off spin of Carson to midwicket, failed to keep the ball down and Clark took a relatively straightforward catch. “Got ’im!” said a Sussex supporter and Somerset were 443 for 6. Abell 119. Until then, a Somerset supporter drifting or dozing along with the play could have been forgiven for thinking the partnership might go on forever. But a wicket awakens any numbing senses and Somerset supporters’ eyes were fully engaged by the time Lewis Gregory reached the crease.

Somerset were clearly on manoeuvres now. Overton and Gregory took another 48 runs from the next six overs. Overton was to the fore as he drove a six over wide long on off Coles into the fifth row of the Ondaatje Stand. Three fours followed, including that lofted drive which went one bounce over the rope and so nearly brought him to his century. The century followed, from 134 balls, off the next ball when he drove Carson to deep midwicket for two. Overton was very clearly pushing hard for a declaration now and, after driving Coles straight for another six, drove him through midwicket to the Caddick Pavilion dugouts for another four. Sussex persevered with their spinners despite the avalanche of Somerset runs and Overton tried one lofted drive too many off Coles and was bowled. Somerset 491 for 7. Overton 111. It was his third first-class century and second of the season, his now regular promotion above Gregory in the batting order increasingly looking justified. 

And, from there, Gregory and Jack Leach took Somerset to 526 in the course of four more overs, both batters clearing the boundary in the process. Leach’s six was lofted off Coles to the Gimblett’s Hill scoreboard and Gregory drove Carson over the boundary in front of the Hildreth Stand as the Somerset innings ran away from Sussex. Finally, inevitably given the nature of the assault on the bowling, Gregory was out charging down the pitch to Coles, missing the drive and being bowled. Somerset 526 for 8. Gregory, out for 35 from 30 balls, immediately declared. Leach was left not out on 17 from 12 balls.

That left enough time for Sussex to face five overs and one ball before the lights flashed and failed, sending the players to the Pavilion for the final time. In the end, the lights failure didn’t cost Somerset’s bowlers too much because by the time I reached the Jack White Gates the rain had begun to fall for the fourth time in the day. During those five overs, Sussex added 22 runs for the loss of one wicket. Gregory, Trescothick Pavilion End, and Alfie Ogborne opened the bowling and Ogborne was soon letting forth a huge leg before wicket appeal against Daniel Hughes. The umpire gave no response and someone at the top of the Trescothick Pavilion shouted, “Oh, come on!” as if the decision was an afront to justice. There was no doubt in the umpire’s mind however when Overton, replacing Gregory after his second over, struck Tom Haines on the pad. Sussex 21 for 1. Haines 6. Deficit 505. And then, the failure of the lights and the rain. But Somerset were in control of the match, having banked two centuries and seven bonus points with two days to go and 19 wickets to take.

Close. Somerset 526 for 8 dec (T.B. Abell 119, C. Overton 111, J.E.K. Rew 86). Sussex 22 for 1. Sussex trail by 504 runs with nine first innings wickets standing.