- 44 Comments
Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, Division One of the Rothesay County Championship (day four).
Essex 206 &, 259: Cox 103* (retired hurt), Pretorius 3-36
Somerset 145 &, 325-7: Rew 116, Gregory 57, C Overton 53*, Harmer 4-120
Essex defeated Somerset by three wickets in the series of matches (21 wickets).
Somerset won the unthinkable first County Championship game against Essex at Taunton with the help of James Rew’s 10-wicket century against Essex.
The home team started the final day 216-6, still needing 105 despite going 78-5 at one point in their second innings and going 321-5.
Rew’s remarkable comeback included a seventh-wicket stand of 133 with Craig Overton, who contributed 53 not out, and a superb 116 runs from 65 to 116.
Overton finished the game 25 minutes before lunch with a straight six off Simon Harmer, which gave him a 111-ball half-century known for his unbroken concentration and application in a difficult situation.
The previous evening’s lackluster bowling by Essex’s bowlers led to a final-day pitch that had greatly improved seam and spin in previous sessions.
After dominating for a while, they had to settle for three points, while Somerset won a welcome 19 after a subpar campaign opener.
When play started with 12 overs of a second new ball, Sam Cook opening up from the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion End and off-spinner Harmer operating from the River End, the Essex attack would have welcomed the first significant cloud cover of the match.
Overton, who has been unbeaten on four all night, started the morning with Cook, who had already scored 105 runs, with Cook clipping Cook through wide mid-on for the first boundary before edging a second to third man off the next ball.
Overton used his long reach to negate any spin, and he did so admirably against Harmer, who was content to pick openings in the field for ones and twos. Rew, who had been in top form the previous evening, became more aggressive as the score dropped to 250 and he entered the 90s.
The pair managed to survive the opening half hour without sounding any alarms as the sun broke through. However, the new ball, which was taken at 258-6, was still necessary and Essex was under pressure to make a stand.
It served as Cook’s opening stanza of the morning. Rew’s batkeeper Michael Pepper forced the Somerset man to take the ball for four when Jamie Porter found the inside edge of his at the other end of the field.
A back-footed shot from Porter, a young player with a promising international future, gave him a 161-ball century and a two-run breakthrough through the leg side. With Overton bringing up the partnership, Somerset were starting to look like firm favorites. However, there was still work to be done.
Harmer from the River End quickly switched to Harmer, who had beaten Rew’s bat with the harder ball in his first over. However, Somerset experienced a rare moment of anxiety when Overton, who had patiently moved to 27 without breaking a boundary, opened his shoulders to help Hamer get through the middle of four.
Rew jumped on the chance to win, sprinkling his shots with joy. However, Harmer’s brilliant contribution came to an end with just nine runs needed, with the batsman hoping to launch him over the leg side.
As celebrations broke out in the home dressing room, Overton off-drove Harmer for four before smashing the ball back over his head and pumping a fist.
related subjects
- Essex
- Somerset
- Cricket
