Nottinghamshire’s commanding batting display against Somerset is just one of the storylines. Tom Banton and Ben Slater’s performances were the highlight, leading the team’s strong chase to victory. The game was played at Trent Bridge. Notts had come out firing and in heavy cloud cover, ideal batting conditions for the time, and put an impressive daft on the scoreboard.
Tom Banton was the standout impact player on the innings. He fell for 84 runs after a tremendous four hours and 17 minutes at the crease. His innings was comprised of eight fours, effortlessly peppering the fields with a mix of shots to keep the opposition attack guessing. Banton was on 57 going into the day completely unbeaten. He was dropped in the slips early on when he was still only on two runs, a chance Somerset would come to rue very shortly.
As Banton anchored the innings, Matt Henry came in and proved to be a perfect foil, scoring a hard-core 41 off 29 deliveries. Henry’s explosive batting included four fours and three sixes, further solidifying Notts’ position in the match. His aggressive approach provided thrust to the lineup, making sure runs kept coming with a regular cadence on a high-scoring night.
Somerset’s bowling attack never looked comfortable during the 50 overs. Jack Leach proved again to be a key option, bowling 25 overs, going for just 42 runs while applying consistent pressure on the batsmen. Craig Overton put in a brilliant shift, bowling 13 overs for only 31 runs. He took the pivotal Joe Clarke wicket, taking his 18 runs. They found it hard to stop Notts’ batsmen, especially as they settled and formed partnerships, with any width or short stuff flying to the ropes.
Liam Patterson-White was an ever-present threat with bat and ball throughout the day’s play. He bowled fast and tight, constantly hitting the seam and earned a second wicket. His efforts were key to establishing early and ongoing pressure on Somerset’s batting order. Haseeb Hameed paid the price of exposure to Matt Henry, feathering an angled delivery that was taken behind the stumps by wicketkeeper James Rew.
The day finished with Slater 116 not out from 224 deliveries. He showed the ideal balance between patience and aggression during his innings. This plan served him well as he laid the groundwork for his championship squad. Slater is still going strong and looking to play a big part in Notts’ final score. The team hopes to find themselves in a good place in the game thanks to his efforts.
Leave a Reply