County Championship 2026. Somerset v Sussex. May 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th. 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.
Toss. Somerset. Elected to bat.
First day. “I’m going to sit in the sun.”
“I’m going to sit in the sun,” said the person who had begun the day watching the cricket with me in the elevated section of the Trescothick Pavilion. It could not be denied. It was bitterly cold sitting in the wind that blew across its face throughout the day. Clothing of choice consisted of anoraks, often another coat underneath, scarves and woolly hats. By the end of the tea interval there had been a mass exodus and barely twenty people of a relatively full complement at the beginning of the day remained. On the other side of the ground, in the sun for most of the day, lay the Hildreth Stand. That was very well populated from the start, and by the evening was virtually full, the occupants probably boosted by Trescothick Pavilion escapees taking refuge in the sun.
As to the cricket, Somerset won the toss and elected to bat on a pitch which had a tinge of green, although less so than for the last match at Taunton against Yorkshire. Within the green, there was a large brownish patch at the River End. Play began in front of a crowd which cannot have been far short of two thousand with Josh Thomas and Jordan Hermann, the latter newly arrived from South Africa, opening. First blood went to Sussex, Thomas leg before wicket to Ollie Robinson, bowling from the Trescothick Pavilion End. “That looked out. Middle and leg,” said the person I was with. I thought it was hitting leg. Either way, the umpire had no more doubt than we did. We were in as good a position as any from beyond the boundary to judge, for we were virtually over the umpire’s head. Somerset 19 for 1. Thomas 7.
At the other end, the left-handed Hermann, with Somerset for this match and the next two, looked the part of an opener. Before the fall of the wicket, he had driven Fynn Hudson-Prentice through straight midwicket to the Priory Bridge Road Stand for four and then, two balls later, turned him to deep midwicket. “Shot! Controlled,” the approving comment. In Hudson-Prentice’s next over, Hermann drove through point to the distant Somerset Stand boundary for four more. Beyond that, an edge past the slips off Hudson-Prentice for another four apart, he was playing the Sussex attack with confidence. A straight drive off Hudson-Prentice for four more added to the impression that Somerset had found a player to fill their troublesome opener’s slot until the return of their injured batters. Then, Hermann attempted to pull a ball from the medium-paced Tom Haines, missed and was struck on the pad to a huge appeal. “Not sure about the height, but it was straight,” the opinion of the person with me. The umpire was sure though and Hermann had to go. Somerset 46 for 2. Hermann 25. Somerset were now under some pressure, but people I spoke to at lunch were generally impressed with Hermann despite his relatively short first stay at the crease.
But from there, Somerset took control of the day. Three successive batters going well past fifty saw to that and they did it at over three and a half runs an over. First, Tom Lammonby and James Rew, in at three and four, added 124 for the third wicket in 33 overs. The start was auspicious with Hudson-Prentice’s first ball to Rew, on leg stump, being confidently and smoothly glanced to fine leg. It crossed the boundary in front of the floodlight between the Botham and Hildreth Stands. For the rest of the morning, during which, from my vantage point, the ball could frequently be seen moving, Rew played within himself, scoring mainly with controlled drives and deft deflections. Until the penultimate over before lunch, when he slog-swept the off spin of Jack Carson two yards over the Ondaatje boundary for six, just clearing the long leg fielder in the process. He reached the boundary only once during the remaining 19 overs to lunch with the neatest of steers fine of the diving backward point fielder to the Colin Atkinson Pavilion boundary. Otherwise, his runs came from those controlled drives and deflections. He did not have it all his own way. Once, he swept hard on the full into the leg slip fielder. “He got away with that one,” someone commented. Hudson-Prentice once beat his straight defensive bat as a ball moved away. Ollie Robinson beat him twice in an over to a comment of, “Well bowled.” But as he reached lunch on 26 not out from 55 balls, no more had gone past the bat than might be expected on a first morning with a tinge of green in the pitch.
Batting with Rew, Lammonby added 30 from 57 balls during their morning partnership. He had already found the boundary three times by the time Rew came to the wicket, although one of those came from a fortuitous inside edge off the seam bowling of Henry Crocombe. Now he sent the ball across the rope another five times. Robinson was turned to the Ondaatje boundary at long leg, the stroke so well played that the wide fine leg fielder could only trot to collect the ball. A paddle sweep off Carson reached the Botham Stand at fine leg causing the short leg fielder to be moved to leg gully. When Carson changed to the River End, Lammonby swept him to the Ondaatje Stand at long leg, “Shot!” someone said. He too was beaten more than once by the moving ball and edged Robinson, but the ball fell short of third slip. It was Robinson too who found his inside edge, but the ball ran past the stumps for a single and a nicely controlled partnership took Somerset to lunch on 107 for 2.
My lunchtime circumnavigation took place, as it had had to since the start of the season, without a detour onto the outfield, access not having been permitted thus far in 2026. The cold wind blowing across the face of the Trescothick Pavilion was evident across the rest of the ground and the air was cold even in the sun. Mid-May it may have been, but no one had told the weather, and I took such warmth from a sun battling the wind as I could. There was much talk of that gruelling final day of cricket at Cardiff with the conclusion of most who had been there or watched the live stream being that both sides had tried their utmost with Somerset eventually coming out on the wrong side of the tussle. There were, inevitably a few, “Should have won that,” comments, but from one who was there, it felt more like, “On another day, we would have won it.” Around the ground, as at the top of the Trescothick Pavilion, most seemed to be wearing anoraks and hats if with fewer scarves and gloves. The highlight of my circumnavigation was the oat milk hot chocolate I bought from the van in the St James Street car park. It was the best I had found on the Championship circuit; smooth, tasting of real chocolate and not overwhelmed by refined sugar. Heaven on a cold day.
And then, for the following two hours there was the warmth of some heavenly Somerset batting. There were some scintillating strokes. Lammonby went to his fifty from 83 balls with an open-faced drive through deep backward point. Three overs into the afternoon, Rew pulled Crocombe, bowling from the River End, over fine leg for six, the ball crossing the boundary in front of the equipment store next to the Trescothick Pavilion. “Whow!” someone gasped as the ball flew past to our right. There was a typically flowing cover drive from Lammonby off Clark which beat the diving cover fielder and crossed the boundary in front of the Ondaatje Stand to a flurry of shouts of “Shot!” Rew then went to his fifty from 94 balls by stepping down the wicket and lofting Carson through straight midwicket to the Priory Bridge Road boundary.
But that was only part of the picture. As important to the Rew Lammonby partnership were the balls deftly played into gaps. Lammonby began the afternoon with two open-faced drives through the gully area towards Gimblett’s Hill off Crocombe, each bringing two runs. In Crocombe’s next over, Rew neatly turned the ball three yards into the on side and responded to a shout of, “Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! from Lammonby. An extra cover drive from Lammonby off Clark towards the Ondaatje Stand brought two more and a shout of, “Well run boys!” the crowd getting behind the batters. A push for two to straight midwicket off Crocombe brought an admiring shout of, “Rewie!” The century partnership was raised from 173 balls with a paddle sweep off Carson from Rew which no more than gently helped the ball on its way and was just retrieved short of the boundary. Somerset 146 for 2. The partnership was eventually ended by Carson’s off spin after Rew had stepped down the pitch to the first ball of an over and driven him over the River End boundary and into the Botham Stand seats from where a spectator eventually retrieved the ball. A push to cover brought Lammonby on strike and two balls later, he too stepped down the pitch, this time to defend against the off spinner, was beaten by a straight ball which he played around and was stumped by John Simpson by the proverbial country mile. Somerset 170 for 3. Lammonby 73.
Tom Abell walked to the wicket to some cheers perhaps in recognition of his exceptional contribution to Somerset’s Championship batting in 2026. His intent that that contribution should continue was soon apparent. He had not been Somerset’s quickest scorer in 2026 but, along with Rew, he had been its surest. There were no fireworks at the start of his innings. Only two singles came from his first 26 balls. That had so often been how he had begun an innings since the start of the season. Disciplined foundation-building. His first boundary came from his 30th ball, a straight drive off Haines which sizzled past the stumps at the Trescothick Pavilion End. “Oh, yes!” the reaction of one supporter.
Rew meanwhile, had slowed to Abell’s pace after the departure of Lammonby, 12 runs in total being added in six overs. Twice he tried to push matters by attempting quick singles. The first time, off James Coles’ slow left arm spin, Abell pushed the ball three yards towards short point and Rew set off for the quickest of quick singles. “No! No! No!” Abell screamed down the pitch and Rew turned and charged back, the ball breaking the stumps as his bat ran through the crease. The second time, Abell pushed Robinson to point. Again, Rew set off. This time, Abell shouted, almost ordered, “No! Get back!” With that, the running calmed, and Rew sought the boundary. Twice off successive balls he drove Robinson for four. The first time through midwicket, the second through cover, both exquisite strokes. “Rewie!” the shout from the crowd and a classic on drive for four to Gimblett’s Hill followed off Haines in the next over.
But then, there was one attempt at a boundary too many from Rew. He attempted to hoist a ball eighteen inches outside off stump over long on, connected only with the outside edge and, with the ball describing a high parabola, was caught with apparent ease by Coles running backwards from cover. The rather dubious stroke was quickly forgiven though as he was applauded from the field and someone commented, “He’s played some lovely strokes.” Somerset 214 for 4. Rew 86. Archie Vaughan to the wicket and Somerset eased to tea, Abell added three boundaries, including two in succession off Fynn Hudson-Prentice, the first driven straight and through the bowler’s legs as he turned into his follow-through, the second steered with an open face effortlessly past the slips to a cry of, “Shot!” As the players walked off, Abell was on 23 from 52 balls scored with the calmness and certainty with which he had played all season. Somerset 238 for 4. Vaughan 10.
As I left for my teatime circumnavigation, it was so cold at the top of the Trescothick Pavilion that most of the occupants left with me and did not return after tea. I was five overs late returning to my seat, a little warmer, for a while, than when I left. As I walked, Abell began in positive mood, taking his partnership with Vaughan past fifty in 95 balls with a six off Coles driven straight of long on to the Trescothick Pavilion. It was a stunning stroke. Abell’s own fifty came from 93 balls with a sharp drive to the deep point fielder, also off Coles. “Well done, Abes!” someone shouted, as the stroke advanced Somerset to 282 for 4.
Vaughan had looked secure enough since he came to the wicket, driving Hudson-Prentice through backward point with an open face and whipping Carson through cover to the boundary in front of the empty seats of the Somerset Stand. After tea, he played with that smooth stroke play of his, adding 18 in ten overs, all scored in ones and twos with controlled strokes through the gaps. Once he cut at Robinson and missed. “Archie!” the reprimand from one of the few remaining voices in the top of the Trescothick Pavilion. It was an innings which promised more, but then, as had happened perhaps too often at this stage of a Vaughan innings, he attempted a drive off Clark and edged to Simpson. The snick was audible from my seat and a slight deviation off the bat clearly visible. “Howzat!” shouted a Sussex supporter, beating the umpire’s finger to the punch. Somerset 297 for 5. Vaughan a carefully constructed 29 from 95 balls in eleven minutes over an hour and a half.
And then, to finish the day, a 38-run partnership in ten overs from Abell and Craig Overton which, according to the feeling of a lifelong supporter, gave the edge to Somerset, although some thought perhaps they had lost a wicket too many. Overton took the lead, getting off the mark from his first ball which he turned confidently towards fine leg and Gimblett’s Hill for four. A single from Abell in the next over gave Overton the strike and he drove the next ball, from Hudson-Prentice, straight of mid-off to the Trescothick Pavilion for four more. As Overton attacked, the crowd slowly filed out, over by over, perhaps driven by mealtimes, perhaps by the demands of public transport timetables, or just by the cold. Overton meanwhile, continued with a flowing stroke, driving Clark through the covers for four more. Next he took two boundaries from Hudson-Prentice, bowling from the Trescothick Pavilion End, albeit one from a fortuitous edge past slip, but the other was a sharp Overtonian drive straight of mid-off.
And all the while, Abell continued as he had from the start, keeping the other end tight, scoring mainly in singles, giving Overton the strike, and running quickly where needed. Then, as if to remind of his own powers, he drove Clark powerfully and straight, back to the Trescothick Pavilion boundary. He was beaten once by Crocombe by a ball that clearly moved away reminding that the conditions still occasionally helped the bowler. Overton, no doubt with an eye on the morrow, left the final three balls of the day having added 26 of those final 38 runs. The end of the day came with a curiosity, for cricket in the 2020s at least, by finishing on the dot of six o’clock with the full 96 overs bowled. The efforts of Coles and Clark, Sussex’s two spin bowlers, no doubt had much to do with that. And the person who had gone to sit in the sun might still have been able to feel his toes.
Close. Somerset 335 for 5.
'Farmer White' Somerset Cricket Writing 