Report: Warwickshire v Somerset, County Championship

Day Four

Michael Rae took three wickets on a final day frustrated by rain and bad light as Warwickshire’s Vitality Championship match against Somerset at Edgbaston ended in a rain-affected draw.

With very little movement in the pitch or through the air, Rae smashed away back of a length and managed to prise the wickets of Kohler-Cadmore, Lammonby and Banton to give the Bears a sniff before bad light brought an end to the contest.

Jack Leach took five wickets in the morning session, finishing with five for 77, to truncate Warwickshire’s second innings at 270 with Alex Davies scoring 131 from 225 balls, his fourth Championship hundred of the season.

The morning session set up a potentially exciting final afternoon with Somerset facing a target of 369 from 68 overs. They were 13 without loss at lunch only for the rain, which robbed the match of 51 overs on the third day, to return. The loss of another ten overs turned the chase from improbable to impossible and Somerset ended on 206 for four.

The draw cost Somerset valuable ground on Division One leaders Surrey who beat Lancashire at The Oval. For Warwickshire, the frustration was deep after rain prevented them from trying to turn a strong position into a victory. They remain without a win, though they have a good chance to change that situation next week when bottom-of-the-table Kent visit Edgbaston. 

Warwickshire resumed on the final morning on 179 for five, 277 ahead, and advanced to 218 before Leach unpicked the lower order. He started the slide with three wickets for nine runs in 18 balls. Davies, having compiled a measured century, his 11^th in first class cricket, went back to a full-length ball and was bowled. Dan Mousley (37, 73) charged at one cleverly delivered wide on the off side and was stumped. Michael Rae was bowled second ball, heaving to leg.

Olly Hannon Dalby edged to wicketkeeper Rew before Michael Burgess, one of the better number eights in county cricket history, left with only the tail for company, lifted to extra cover to complete Leach’s five-wicket haul.

With 68 overs to bowl Somerset out, Warwickshire would have been confident of taking the game deep, but then yet another rain interruption sentenced the match to stalemate. 

Openers Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Andy Umeed (38, 50) were caught at deep mid-wicket. Tom Lammonby and Tom Banton perished to faulty pulls at Rae. James Rew helped himself to a 23-ball half-century as the match meandered to a draw before the light closed in once and for all and the crowd departed.

Warwickshire coach Mark Robinson said: “Having got a first innings lead of over 100, it was then a shame to lose a whole session to the weather because that stops your ability to dictate in the way that you really want to. On this type of surface it just gets flatter and flatter and favours the team batting on the last day. It is hard to bowl somebody out on that type of surface. 

“A bit of carelessness from us with the bat and then the weather has meant it was a draw. We were a little bit careless on the third day and that cost us the right to dictate. Hamza ran himself out, Beth was out to a careless dismissal, Barny was out to a part-time bowler and that meant we never got into a really strong position. 

“You always want to win but, given a couple of other results around the country, we’re happy to take the points from a draw. Plenty of times this season we have got ourselves into good positions in games but then either us not being ruthless enough or the weather has thwarted us. What you have to do is keep trying to get into those positions which gives you a chance to win and then you want your team and your best players to be able to take you over the line.”

Day Three

Warwickshire captain Alex Davies scored his 11^th first class century but third-day rain badly interfered with Bears’ push for Vitality Championship victory over Somerset at Edgbaston.

Davies ended the day unbeaten on 109 (199 balls) of his side’s 179 for five to carve out a lead of 277. Warwickshire are in a strong position but the loss of 51 overs on the day to the weather has seriously compacted the game and reduced the time available for them to try to force victory.  

The Bears’ captain faces an interesting dilemma on the final day – to judge a declaration which gives his side enough time to take 10 wickets but does not offer Somerset too great a chance of victory.

Much to the home side’s frustration, play did not begin on the third day until 1.50pm and even then rain returned after two overs to send the players off again until 3pm.

After Warwickshire resumed on 27 for one, Davies eased towards his century while a succession of partners perished in the early 20s. The skipper added 45 with Will Rhodes, 83 with Hamza Shaikh and 38 with Jake Bethell against a Somerset attack which applied itself well to keep a brake on the scoring to take as much time out of the game as possible.

Rhodes and Bethell were bowled by the impressive Josh Davey. Shaikh was run-out when he called Davies through for a single and was beaten by Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s throw.

Davies survived a missed stumping off Jack Leach on 34 but reached an assured century from 148 balls before a bonus wicket arrived for Somerset from the unexpected hands of Andy Umeed.

When, late in the day, Jake Ball limped off injured five balls into an over, Umeed was called upon to complete the over. Skipper Craig Overton saw enough merit in that one ball to keep the spinner on and the second ball of Umeed’s first full over had Ed Barnard caught behind.

Somerset’s commendable persistence and wickets in the last session cost Warwickshire some of their wickets in hand for when they resume on the final morning, shunting the match further towards a likely draw.

Bears batter Jacob Bethell, said: “It seems like in a lot of games this season we’ve been in good positions and the weather has not played ball. Today we lost a lot of overs when there could have been serious movement in the game which was a frustrating.

“We are still not in a bad position in the match. We have got a decision to make on what we do in the morning, It was a bit of a shame to lose myself and Barny in quick succession late on which made the last half-hour’s play a bit docile. If we could have got maybe another 30 or 40 runs in that little session we wouldn’t have had to bat as long tomorrow morning. 

“But we are still in a good position. We have just got to bat positively and then work hard for our wickets tomorrow.”

Day Two

Ed Barnard’s five-for lifted Warwickshire into the ascendancy against Somerset on the second day of their Vitality County Championship match at Edgbaston.

After Warwickshire extended their first innings to 337, Barnard took five for 54 as the visitors were bowled out for 239.

Michael Burgess (69, 90 balls), Jake Bethell (64, 143) and some aggressive tail-wagging gave the home side a solid total against an attack led by Josh Davey (four for 80) and Craig Overton (four for 88). 

Somerset then lurched to nought for two and 65 for five against Barnard and Chris Rushworth (three for 42 in his first first-team bowl since April) before partially recovering through Kasey Aldridge’s elegant 84 (139), supported by James Rew (49, 75) and Tom Lammonby (44, 66).

Warwickshire closed on 27 for one second time round and will be hoping the forecast third-day rain stays away to allow them to try to press home their advantage.

The second day started with a highly entertaining 45 minutes as Warwickshire, resuming on 277 for six, added 60 for four in ten overs. Burgess and Bethell took their partnership to 122 before both fell in five balls. Burgess edged Overton and was superbly caught by wicketkeeper Rew, standing up. Bethell’s middle stump was knocked out by Davey. 

At 287 for eight, Warwickshire were in danger of coming in light but the last two wickets clubbed 50 from 40 balls with eight fours and two sixes. Michael Rae struck 28 from 22 before he skied a slog at Overton.

After all the fluctuations, Warwickshire appeared to have finished with a total around par, but it appeared dominant when Somerset’s first five wickets fell in 20 overs. Their reply began in bizarre fashion when Tom Kohler-Cadmore charged at the first two balls from Olly Hannon-Dalby, missing the first and edging the second. When Rushworth knocked out Andy Umeed’s off stump, it was nought for two. 

Lammonby and Tom Abell added 36 but Barnard then struck twice as Abell fell lbw offering no shot and Tom Banton edged to Will Rhodes at first slip. Lammonby rose above the top-order wreckage to score a polished 44 out of 65 but perished carelessly when he scooped Rushworth to long leg.

Aldridge settled stylishly after a slightly sketchy start to add 87 with Rew, who was caught behind off Rushworth, and 49 with Overton before the captain was castled by Hannon-Dalby. When Barnard bowled Davey and had Jack Leach caught at second slip in the space of four balls, Aldridge was 34 runs short of a ton with just last man Jake Ball for company. He acquired 18 of them before chipping a full-toss to extra cover to complete Barnard’s five-for. Warwickshire soon lost Rob Yates, who fatally edged Overton’s fifth ball, in their second innings but closed very strongly placed, 125 ahead with nine wickets intact, after Alex Davies and Will Rhodes survived until bad light lopped off the last 13 overs.

Warwickshire all-rounder Ed Barnard said: “We are in a really good position, especially from where we were yesterday at 140 for six. To be 100 ahead with only one wicket down is really pleasing.

“The lads stuck at it really well today. We are still not quite sure of the pitch. At times it feels like it’s good for batting but there also seem to be some good balls in there.

“It was great to get a five-for. I feel like I have bowled really well in the last month or so. Like last year I have taken my form from the white-ball comp into the championship and that’s been nice. Hopefully, I can get a few runs tomorrow to set the game up.

“Rushy came back in and bowled superbly. He is massive for us. We know the experience and quality he has got and to have him back in alongside Olly – you won’t get two better opening bowlers in the country and we are very lucky in that way. It was great to see him back out there looking fit and firing and taking some really important wickets.”

Day One

Warwickshire fought back superbly in the final session to reach 277 for six against Somerset on a hard-fought opening day of their Vitality County Championship match at Edgbaston.

Needing a win to maintain their pursuit of Division One leaders Surrey, Somerset chose to bowl and their seamers reduced the home side to 165 for six, but Jacob Bethell (60 not out, 134 balls) and Michael Burgess (63 not out, 79 balls) added an unbroken 112 in 30 overs. 

The seventh-wicket pair fought hard after Rob Yates played a solid knock at the top of the order to get the innings underway. (69, 119 balls). Craig Overton and Josh Davey both took two wickets but Somerset’s bowlers mixed good balls with too many loose offerings which prevented them building the required pressure. 

Warwickshire were very grateful for the work of Bethell and Burgess as they try to build a position from which to push for their first championship victory of the season. 

After Craig Overton, captain in the absence of Lewis Gregory, won the toss, Somerset’s new ball bowling was inconsistent. Warwickshire openers Alex Davies (27, 35 balls) and Yates added 52 in 13 overs before the former departed after edging behind off Kasey Aldridge to wicketkeeper James Rew. 

On a pitch offering some but by no means lavish assistance to the seamers, Warwickshire advanced comfortably enough to 94 for one before a change of ball reversed the flow. Will Rhodes, having moved to 22 in assured fashion, was bowled off-stump by one from Overton and three more wickets followed for 19 runs in 44 balls.

Hamza Shaikh, making his first first-class appearance for Warwickshire, collected his first boundary with a luscious on-drive off Jake Ball but fell in the fast-bowler’s next over when he sliced a drive to Tom Lammonby to backward point. Yates, having struck 13 boundaries, played on to Davey who then produced a peach of an outswinger to find Ed Barnard’s outside edge.

Bethell and Dan Mousley, fresh from the free hitting of The Hundred, knuckled down to add 21 in 65 balls before Mousley was drawn into a drive at Overton and former Warwickshire batter Andy Umeed held a stinging catch at second slip.

At 165 for six, the home side was in jeopardy, but Bethell and Burgess batted beautifully. Bethell smashed a 15-ball T20 half-century against Northamptonshire earlier this year and his explosive batting qualities are well-known, but he now showed technique, concentration and selectivity to dig his team out of trouble.

The 20-year-old reached his fifth first-class half-century from 107 balls and laid the perfect platform for Burgess to attack at the other end. Burgess lifted Jack Leach for six over long on and then cleared the ropes twice more in an over off the spinner to pass 50 from 66 balls to add to the century he struck against Somerset at Taunton seven weeks ago. It was a stirring fightback from the Bears which left a compelling day evenly balanced at its conclusion.