Somerset’s cricket team had a fairytale start to the first day of their T20 match against Sussex. They still showed incredible grit even while playing under some tough circumstances. Here’s how the day played out at the County Ground in Taunton. For the home side it had been a match of gigantic swings and roundabouts, but they fought on to close out their innings at 176 for six.
Somerset started the day’s play incredibly poorly. In the third over after the second new ball had been taken, Abell succumbed to a fine delivery from Ollie Robinson, the ball going to Tom Clark at second slip. Abell had to battle resolutely during the tense early overs but reached double figures before settling in and making 16. His performances spoke volumes that he was not finding his form. Earlier in his innings, he received a reprieve when he was dropped at slip on 13, off the left-arm spin of James Coles.
Even with the loss of their captain, Somerset had a solid platform with runs coming from all their batsmen. Josh Davey had a new opening partner in skipper Lewis Gregory, and the pair played themselves in with a watchful start to the innings. It was a very good shot that Davey played to Robinson looking to defend back foot but he had no control. Wicketkeeper Ben Simpson took the catch and Davey departed for 28.
Harry Brook shouldered the responsibility of building the innings further with a fine 46 runs, before James Rew joined him. He feathered an angled delivery through to Tom Haines at slip to leave Somerset at 149 for three. His dismissal put further pressure on the middle order as Tom Banton came to the crease. Somerset would be deprived of Banton’s company for too long, though. He fell for only six runs, caught at slip off the bowling of Fynn Hudson-Prentice.
Lewis Gregory’s efforts to anchor the innings were cut short when he edged a defensive push off Nathan McAndrew to Tom Clark at second slip, departing after scoring 15 runs. With wickets still falling at regular intervals, it was up to Tom Lammonby to make the Somerset batting order tick. He was hugely impressive in skill and patience, dotting the ball around that took him 120 balls to find a brilliant fifty, 5 fours included in that. Lammonby caught in the deep when well set on 60. He was then trapped behind after edging a back-foot defensive stroke off Carson, leaving Somerset on 176 for 6.
Craig Overton and Vaughan both shone to take Somerset safely through to the close of play. Though they lost six wickets, their combined efforts did much to inject that momentum criminally lost innings 1. A few batters have shown incredible defiance. This will be important for Somerset as they look to expand on their excellent day one effort in the next few sessions of play.
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