Somerset Slide To Durham Defeat
Somerset endured a difficult trip to Durham in the latest round of fixtures in the County Championship.
The Vertu Motors-backed side had secured victory against Kent in the previous game at Taunton, and made the long journey up to Chester-Le-Street to take on a side hoping to make the most of having Ben Stokes available for the second time this season.
Somerset were put in to bat first and Durham looked to be in early control as Tom Abell, Matt Renshaw and Andy Umeed all failed to make it into double figures with the bat as the visitors found themselves on 46-4 after less than 20 overs of play.
Only Tom Banton and Migael Pretorious were able to make significant impact at the crease, with Pretorious top scoring with 53 as Somerset were bowled out for just 171 – with Stokes having grabbed four wickets.
Somerset wasted little time in battling back in the field however, with Alex Lees being run out by Craig Overton for just three before the same man had Colin Ackermann caught at slip and then removed Scott Borthwick LBW.
However, Ollie Robinson and David Bedingham then led a Durham fightback, adding 114 before Robinson fell for 46 – being followed quickly by Stokes for a duck and Graham Clark for one.
Bedingham made it to a century by the end of the day at Durham closed six runs ahead but would make only one more run on the second morning before being caught off the bowling of Jake Ball.
Ben Raine and Peter Siddle combined to add a vital 66 runs for the tenth wicket, meaning Durham reached 265 before eventually being bowled out with a lead of 94.
Somerset were in trouble however with Abell and Renshaw both departed early and it would set the tone for the remainder of the innings, with Umeed’s 16 being the highest score as the visitors were skittled out for just 88 – with Stokes taking four wickets and Raine picking up three and Banton unable to bat due to illness.
Three points scored leave Somerset third in the table.
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