England’s Cox injured as Rew gives Somerset chance

Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, Division One of the Rothesay County Championship (day three).

Essex 206 &amp, 259: Cox 103* (retired hurt), Pretorius 3-36

Somerset 145 &amp, 216-6: Rew 65*, Harmer 3-80

To defeat Essex (3 points), Somerset (3 points) needs 105 more runs.

On the third day of Somerset’s third-day County Championship Division One game at Taunton, an injury to centurion Jordan Cox severely damaged an impressive Essex display.

Cox, who was recently called up to the England squad, increased his overnight score of 61 to an unbeaten 103 as his team increased their total for the second innings from 163-4 to 259 all out.

However, he immediately broke down clutching his lower left after taking the single that put him on 99 and reached three figures.

When Somerset attempted to score 321 on a pitch that still provided assistance to seam and spin, Cox was replaced in the field and did not play any further innings for Essex.

Lewis Gregory scored 57 as they came to a close of 216-6, and James Rew scored 65.

Tom Westley, the coach for Essex, informed Cox that there was a problem with his side but that a scan would not be available until Monday.

We’ll be aware of a lot more then, according to Westley. It was unfortunate that he was unable to continue after playing a fantastic innings.

Cox and Michael Pepper quickly increased their overnight lead of 224 in the first hour of play.

Cox celebrated Craig Overton’s introduction with a magnificent extra cover drive for four before sweeping Jack Leach for boundaries off successive deliveries. When misfortune struck, Pepper leant strong support, leading to a total of 234-4.

Cox had experienced some discomfort, and Leach’s quick single off the end of his ton caused him to prostrate himself. He was ushered to his feet after a number of minutes of treatment, but he only continued for four more minutes before passing the 155-ball hundred mark.

After finishing off the lead past 300, Pepper glanced a four off Overton, but Migael Pretorius suffered the first of three victims in a row, leaving him leg before going on the back foot.

Sam Cook top-edged a pull shot to be caught at fine leg while Noah Thain edged to Rew. As Essex dropped from 252-4 to 259 all out, Leach contributed with Kasun Rajitha and Simon Harmer’s wickets.

On a pitch that had aided bowlers from the beginning, a lead of 321 still appeared to be in order. The 91-5 was left at tea as Somerset’s fragile top order again failed, it appeared.

Without allowing a run on the board, Andy Umeed edged a catch to second slip off Jamie Porter, and Archie Vaughan top-edged a shot to leg off Cook to give a straightforward catch from mid-wicket.

Tom Lammonby fell for 30 yards after Harmer’s introduction from eighth over, a ball that went past the left-hander’s forward defensive shot and hit his back pad. Harmer came in first and struck first with the total of 54.

Tom Abell made it 29 before a sharply turning delivery from Harmer clipped his off-spin and made it 71-5.

With only seven more runs remaining, Somerset’s player, who is currently 13 years old, reverse-spreads the spinner and is ruled to have got a little too much before Dean Elgar slips.

At the tea break, Skipper Gregory and Rew had a positive attitude and both left for the final session.

In a counterattacking partnership that only served to highlight previous batting inadequacies, anything that seemed even slightly loose was mercilessly punished with boundaries. Off 80 balls and seven fours, Gregory sprinted to half-century.

Rew’s performance was equally impressive, going 37 against Rajitha, whose captain flashed a four-for-four cut to bring up the 100-point plateau. However, Gregory made a second forced shot with the same result, only to have a thick inside edge strewn across his stumps.

Rew’s 10th four, which was third-man off Cook, resulted in a fluent fifty off of 91 balls and the Somerset 200.

A fresh attack and the second new ball from tomorrow kept him in the game at the end, with a further 105 required.