Somerset Abell to make day tough for Tykes
TOM Abell’s third County Championship century of the season led Somerset to 262 for five on the opening day against Yorkshire at Taunton.
The skipper ended the day unbeaten on 114, having faced 217 balls and hit 14 fours and 2 sixes. Other important contributions came from Matt Renshaw (43) and George Bartlett (46).
Matthew Waite was the pick of the Yorkshire seamers, with two for 35 from 16 overs, while former Somerset off-spinner Dom Bess took two for 29 from 18.
It was decided before the start not to employ the suggested 4.30pm finish on day one because of the forecast extreme heat and to stick to the normal hours of play.
In the event, much of the morning session was played under cloudy skies and during the lunch interval it started raining.
Somerset had progressed to 25 in the seventh over when Tom Lammonby, on four, edged a drive off Jordan Thompson to Tom Kohler-Cadmore at first slip.
Kohler-Cadmore was making his first Championship appearance of the summer for Yorkshire following a long battle to overcome the effects of concussion.
Matt Renshaw made a confident start and looked in good touch, but began to encounter problems when Waite produced an excellent sevenover spell from the River End.
He beat the Australian twice in the 19th over and then pinned him lbw for 43, with a ball that nipped back in his next, before ending the stint, which included four maidens, with figures of one for five.
By lunch, the Somerset skipper had progressed to 21, with Bartlett unbeaten on 15 in a total of 99 for two from 28 overs.
The resumption was delayed until 3.30pm by rain, with 20 overs lost and tea set for 4.30pm.
Abell and Bartlett brought up a half-century stand off 67 balls before the latter was dropped on 26 by
Kohler-Cadmore, two-handed low to his left off Shannon Gabriel.
Abell reached a solid fifty off 101 balls, with his seventh four, a legglance off Matthew Revis,
By tea, the Somerset pair had added 98 and taken the total to 164 for two from 42 overs. Batting was looking comfortable with the sun shining.
The final session saw Bartlett bring up the hundred partnership with a four to fine leg off a loose ball from Bess.
Kohler-Cadmore atoned for his earlier error with a stunning onehanded catch, diving to his left at slip, to help Bess dismiss Lewis Goldsworthy.
James Rew fell to another sharp Kohler-Cadmore catch off Bess after Abell had reached a 198-ball hundred with a two off his former colleague.
Yorkshire seamer Matthew Waite said: “I think they are just ahead. I don’t think we bowled as well as we would have liked.
“There were too many four balls every couple of overs.
“It was hard in the heat and the pitch was quite slow, but that’s first class cricket and we have to be better. A lot of balls were short and wide, so we got hit square of the wicket.
“We talk about it and say if we are going to get hit for four let it be down the ground. We have the new ball in the morning after four overs, so hopefully we can knock them over quite quickly. 320 or 330 would be nice. Then we can get stuck in with the bat.”