Day 4
Marcus Trescothick had another day to remember as the rain-ruined Specsavers County Championship match between Somerset and Warwickshire at Taunton ended in a draw.
Having passed 25,000 first class runs the previous day, the 41-year-old former England opener moved to his 50th first class century for Somerset, making 106 in their otherwise disappointing first innings total of 230.
That created a Somerset record, beating the 49 hundreds made for the county in first class cricket by Harold Gimblett.
Not satisfied with that, Trescothick then calmed any dressing room nerves when Somerset followed on and finished unbeaten on 46 as they closed on 86 for one. Skipper Tom Abell was undefeated on 35.
It was also a memorable day for Warwickshire seamer Grant Thornton, who marked his Championship debut with four for 34 in the home side’s first innings.
Somerset had begun the final day on 94 for four in reply to Warwickshire’s 413.
Trescothick reached a half-century with a boundary to mid-wicket off Jeetan Patel in the second over of the morning.
Together with Jack Leach, he took the total onto 127 when the nightwatchman fell lbw to Rikki Clarke for 16.
Trescothick was joined by Pete Trego and the pair stayed together until lunch, by which time the score had moved onto 178 without further loss.
Resuming on 89 after the break, Trescothick edged his way into the 90s before eventually going to his century with a single to mid-wicket off Thornton.
The crowd stood to mark Trescothick’s record-breaking ton, which came off 180 balls, with 11 fours.
Trego had moved onto 34 when he looked to have been caught by Jonathan Trott at first slip off Thornton.
The Warwickshire fielders celebrated, but the batsmen stood his ground and was given not out after umpire Alex Wharf consulted his square leg colleague Paul Baldwin.
In Thornton’s next over he had Trescothick caught behind by Tim Ambrose trying to drive a wider ball. With his next delivery the 24-year-old accounted for Roelof van der Merwe with a yorker.
More wickets tumbled quickly. Trego remained at the crease and went to his half-century, off 124 balls with his fifth boundary, through the slips off Patel, but the bowler got his revenge two balls later as Somerset were all out for a dismal 230.
The pick of the Warwickshire bowlers was debutant Thornton whose excellent figures came from 12.2 overs. Clarke took three for 29.
Following on 183 runs behind, Somerset were soon in troublea again as Sunny Singh had Dean Elgar caught at short mid wicket by Ian Bell with just one run on the board.
Abell, with only ten runs to his name in five Championship innings this season, joined Trescothick and the two started to take their side towards safety. Trescothick took a boundary off Patel to see up the 50.
In the gathering gloom the Somerset pair saw the score onto 86 off 25.1 overs when the players shook hands and the game ended in a draw. Warwickshire took 12 points and Somerset eight.
Day 3
Marcus Trescothick went past 25,000 first class runs as Somerset struggled in response to Warwickshire’s 413 all out on the third day of the rain-affected Specsavers County Championship match at Taunton.
The former England opener was unbeaten on 41 at stumps as the Bears held the aces with Somerset 94 for four.
Bears new recruit, Berkswell’s Grant Thornton, took two for 14 from five overs on his Championship debut.
Earlier, Jonathan Trott had made 175 in Warwickshire first innings, the 20th time he had gone past 150 in the first class cricket. He received good support from Sam Hain (39), Tim Ambrose (63) and Rikki Clarke (57), while there were three wickets each for Jamie Overtoon and Roelof van der Merwe.
Play began on time, with Warwickshire 124 for three and Trott unbeaten on 50. The first half hour saw him survive a confident appeal for a catch behind down the leg side off Peter Trego, who then dropped him at fourth slip off Craig Overton before he had added to his overnight score.
The total had progressed to 150 when Hain was bowled by a full delivery from left-arm spinner Jack Leach. It was Somerset’s only success of the morning session as Ambrose and Trott took the score to 215 for four at lunch.
Trott was 13 short of his hundred and there were no more alarms as he brought it up with three successive boundaries off the previously economical Leach. He had faced 212 balls and hit 16 fours.
Ambrose played confidently to reach a 100-ball half-century, with five fours and a six, before falling to an unusual and brilliant catch by Trescothick, who anticipated a sweep off Leach and moved from slip as the shot was being played to take a left-handed catch at leg slip.
Rikki Clarke came in with licence to attack as Warwickshire chased maximum batting points and was soon on the attack. Trott moved comfortably to 150 and the pair had added 95 in 16.2 overs when he was caught at backward point off Jamie Overton, having batted for six hours and extended his boundary count to 22 fours and 3 sixes.
Tea was taken on Trott’s dismissal with Warwickshire 391 for six, needing nine runs off as many balls for a fifth batting point.
They fell short as Keith Barker was caught at mid-wicket and Clarke failed to make contact with two big swings at the end of the 110th over, bowled by van der Merwe. A clatter of wickets followed, the last five falling for 22 runs.
Somerset had progressed to 21 in reply when Dean Elgar was trapped in front during an impressive opening spell from Barker.
Tom Abell’s wretched run continued when on eight he jammed down on a full ball from Jeetan Patel and watched in horror as the ball trickled back onto his stumps.
After Trescothick had acknowledged the applause of the crowd, having moved onto 31 and had his latest achievement announced over the tannoy, Warwickshire struck two more blows.
James Hildreth, on 14, was pinned lbw on the back foot by Thornton for the seamer’s maiden Championship wicket. And the 24-year-old quickly followed up by having the out-of-form Steve Davies caught at short-leg for seven.
Day 2
Jonathan Trott completed an 82-ball half-century as only 6.1 overs were possible on the second day of Warwickshire’s Specsavers County Championship match with Somerset at Taunton.
No play was possible until after lunch as the groundstaff’s mopping up operation from the previous day’s deluge was hampered by early afternoon showers.
Umpires Alex Wharf and Paul Baldwin originally decided play could commence at 1.10pm. But as that time approached the rain returned and the heavy covers were brought back on.
Finally, the action did get underway at 2.45pm, with Warwickshire resuming on 93 for three and Trott unbeaten on 30.
After Jack Leach had delivered one ball to complete his unfinished over from day one, the Overton twins took up the attack for Somerset.
Craig bowled a testing first over from the Somerset Pavilion End and Jamie had a big appeal for lbw against Trott rejected with his first delivery of the day.
But there were also some overpitched deliveries, which Trott and Sam Hain capitalised on with some meaty drives.
Trottt had just moved to 50 when bad light forced the players off. More rain followed and the umpires abandoned any prospect of a resumption at 5pm.
Day 1
Jamie Overton claimed two Warwickshire wickets before rain washed out most of the opening day of the Specsavers County Championship match with Somerset at Taunton.
Only 32.5 overs were possible. After winning the toss and electing to bat first, Warwickshire had moved onto 93 for three by the time the umpires abandoned play for the day shortly before the scheduled tea break.
By then a deluge had left much of the outfield under water, but at least Overton (two for 17) could reflect with satisfaction on proceedings.
Fielding three spinners, Somerset opened their bowling with Peter Trego from the River End and the all-rounder was unlucky to have Ian Westwood, on six, put down at second slip.
Jamie Overton was then brought into the attack from the Somerset Pavilion End and, with the score on 46, the younger of the North Devon twins claimed Westwood, who appeared to have played on for 21.
Jonathan Trott saw up the 50 for the visitors when he took a boundary off Jamie Overton to third man, but one run later the bowler yorked Andrew Umeed for 24.
Jack Leach was brought on at the River End and soon afterwards off-spinner Dom Bess joined him in the attack But neither seemed to be able to get much help from the wicket.
With the total on 72 the rain started to fall heavily and the players left the field for an extended lunch.
Before the game eventually resumed at 2.10pm left arm spinner Leach was awarded his Somerset cap by former player Vic Marks.
There was one more wicket for Somerset before the rain set in again at 2.50pm. Craig Overton had Ian Bell well caught at second slip by Marcus Trescothick for eight.
Trott is unbeaten on 30 going into day two.
