Somerset Go For One Day Cup Glory
Somerset will look to wrap up the Metro Bank One Day Cup title this weekend to ensure a second successive season with a domestic trophy despite seeing hopes of a first County Championship crown come to an end.
The Vertu Motors-backed side had retained hopes of the County Championship crown with a dramatic win against league leaders Surrey, but still headed to Old Trafford to take on Lancashire knowing that another victory was required to keep pace with the defending champions if they beat Durham.
With Lancashire chasing victory to avoid the threat of relegation, there was plenty to play for in the game, with Somerset winning the toss and electing to bowl first.
Somerset could have grabbed a wicket with the first ball of the game only for Kasey Aldridge to put down a catch at slip but it didn’t take long for the wickets to start to tumble.
Harry Singh was first man out for seven when he was caught off the bowling of Craig Overton, who quickly dismissed Josh Bohannon to leave the score on 41-2. Aldridge then made amends for his earlier dropped catch when he bowled Rocky Flintoff and then took the prize wicket of opener Keaton Jennings – who had scored a quick half century – to leave the home side on 85-4.
Having passed the 100 mark, Lancashire then suffered a mid-order collapse in the afternoon session as four wickets fell for just one run.
Lewis Gregory got in the action to trap Matty Hurst LBW, with Overton removing Luke Wells in the same manner one over later. Overton then bowed George Bell, with the single added by George Balderson before he was caught off Gregory being the only run scored across four mad overs.
Anderson Phillip was ninth man out LBW to Gregory, who than wrapped the innings up when he had Tom Bailey caught following a late cameo that pushed the total up to 140.
Somerset didn’t start well in reply when Andy Umeed was caught first ball, but youngster Archie Vaughan and Tom Lammonby then put on 58 for the second wicket as the visitors made inroads into the first innings target.
However, a mini collapse then followed, as Vaughan, Lammonby and Tom Kohler-Cadmore all fell for the addition of just seven runs, with James Rew adding just four before he took was back in the pavilion with the score on 71-5 shortly after tea.
When Aldridge departed for a single, Somerset were six down and still 17 runs short of three figures but Gregory and Tom Abell steadied the ship slightly with a partnership of 34 before Abell departed for 22.
Bailey trapped Overton and Brett Randell in a single over with Somerset still behind, but Jack Leach joined Gregory to put on a vital 25 and take their side to 146 all out for the slenderest of first innings leads.
Before the day had ended, Somerset had already grabbed the wicket of Jennings to leave Lancashire on 16-1 at the close, just ten runs ahead with three full days left to play.
Whilst 21 wickets had tumbled on day one, day two would prove to be a better one for the batsmen as Lancashire started to build a lead.
Although nightwatchman Will Williams departed early, Bohannon and Singh were able to put on 85 for the third wicket to take the lead to 100 before he was caught by Abell off the bowling of Aldridge for 60, with Randell then taking his first Somerset wicket when he had Singh caught behind.
Slipping to 168-6, the game was very much in the balance but Luke Wells was quietly going about his business and helped to steer his side to 298-7 by the close, with a partnership of 83 with Bell having turned the game back towards the home side as they took a lead of 292.
Wells continued to bat on on the third morning as he frustrated the Somerset attack, scoring 130 in a century partnership with Balderson before his wicket fell with the score on 386, with Somerset quickly wrapping up the innings to leave a victory target of 393.
As in the first innings, Umeed fell in the first over but Vaughan and Lammonby then came together to add 105 for the second wicket and start to eat into the home side’s lead.
Lammonby was eventually bowled by Wells one short of his half century with Abell following soon afterwards, and Somerset were in trouble when Vaughan and Kohler-Cadmore departed after tea.
When Aldridge was also dismissed with four balls of the day left, Somerset were sitting on 204-6, still needing to secure another 189 runs with only four wickets remaining.
Crucially ahead of day four, Surrey had secured victory in their game but hopes of Somerset also taking maximum points would soon end as the final four wickets fell during the morning session.
Whilst defeat leaves Somerset third in the table going into the final round of games, the One Day Cup final this weekend at Trent Bridge provides a chance to secure a trophy in what has been a strong season on the pitch in all formats.