Sidebottom takes 750th first-class wicket as Yorkshire edge ahead
At Taunton Yorkshire lead Somerset by 105 runs in their second innings
Ryan Sidebottom claimed five for 56, including his 750th first-class wicket, as Yorkshire edged the second day of the Specsavers County Championship match with Somerset at Taunton yesterday.
By the time bad light ended play six overs early, the visitors were 127 for two in their second innings, leading by 105.
Sidebottom had ensured Somerset’s first-innings lead would not be significant. After beginning the day on 41 for three, the hosts were bowled out for 224 in reply to Yorkshire’s 202.
Then Peter Handscomb, with an unbeaten half-century, put his side in a decent position.
James Hildreth was first to go in the morning session when he left a ball from Steve Patterson that moved into him and was lbw.
Lewis Gregory, fresh from his maiden first-class century against Middlesex, was quickly into his stride and took three boundaries off Azeem Rafiq’s first over.
Steve Davies helped add 65 for the fifth wicket before edging behind. With the total on 114 for six, a lot depended on the Devonian pair of Gregory and Craig Overton and they did not disappoint before Gregory fell for 43.
New batsman Jamie Overton hit some lusty blows, while his brother was more circumspect in the way he played. After moving on to 19, Jamie was leg before to Sidebottom – his 750th first-class wicket.
Jack Leach and Craig Overton edged Somerset closer to their first batting point, but on 199 Leach fell lbw to Matthew Waite for 17, and Somerset were eventually all out for 224. Batting for a second time, Yorkshire openers Adam Lyth and Alex Lees had added 35 when Lyth was trapped leg before to off-spinner Dominic Bess for 10.
Handscomb joined Lees and started to push the score along. After Lees’s departure, Handscomb continued to plunder his runs and went to a deserved half-century with a classy offdrive from Jack Leach, his runs coming off 79 balls with 10 fours.
Gary Ballance was unbeaten on 15 when the light closed in.