Somerset wobble at Hants on rain-shortened day

Utilita Bowl, Division One, Rothesay County Championship (day one)

Somerset 94-6: Lammonby 36, Wheal 2-18

Hampshire: Not yet batted

Somerset had no points, and Hampshire had no points.

As Hampshire made the most of the opening day of their County Championship game against Somerset, Kyle Abbott continued his impressive career record.

Abbott added two wickets, bringing his total against Somerset to 71, with 40 of those scalps coming on an average of 12 at Utilita Bowl.

As Somerset fell to a score of 94-6 at lunch, with three wickets falling in 11 balls just before the break, James Fuller and Brad Wheal, who also took two wickets.

However, the visitors’ injuries were spared because of the rain, which ended with lunch.

James Rew was named captain of his country for the first time in the Championship due to Lewis Gregory’s abdominal injury, having previously led the Second XI and England Under-19s. He became the youngest county captain in history by doing so.

Ben Brown chose to bowl under threatening grey skies because his first act called incorrectly at the toss.

Sean Dickson was hurriedly dealing with a Wheal in-ducker and was pinned in front, so the wait for the first wicket only lasted 34 balls.

Archie Vaughan and Tom Lammonby tried to lay a foundation, but both fell within 13 deliveries of Fuller after easing a 55-run stand.

Sonny Baker, a former Somerset tearaway, had been chosen to replace Fuller in the season’s opening two games. However, Fuller is still available because Baker, who is currently working for the ECB, was let go.

He tightened up before rolling his fingers down one to find some unmoving movement and the edge of Vaughan’s bat after being hit for two boundaries in his opening over.

Fuller angled it across the left-hander to avoid Lammonby. He then pitched it further up. Through Brown, he found the edge.

Around 10 minutes until lunch, the morning appeared to end fairly evenly, with 93-3, but Abbott made it clear who the session was with Wheal.

With his wicket, Tom Banton was unlucky in the least. Nick Gubbins sensationally caught the middle-order batter as he whipped a half-volley with gusto.

Rew hesitantly pushed back five balls later. Before Wheal slammed for pace and letting Kasey Aldridge out, Tom Abell added one more run before he was beaten for pace. One run and three wickets were all lost in 11 balls.

A late finish was confirmed just before 16:30 BST due to the rain at lunch, which prevented any further action.