Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Gloucestershire really up against it as Leach strikes
TOM Abell’s tenth first-class century tightened Somerset’s stranglehold on the second day of their Championship match with Gloucestershire in Bristol.
The visiting skipper took his run tally in his last four knocks to 415 with a measured 142, made from 246 balls with 17 fours and a six, as his side took their first innings total from an overnight 319 for four to 591 for seven declared. Lewis Gregory added a sparkling 89 at a run a ball, smiting ten fours and four sixes. By the close, Gloucestershire struggled to 119 for four in reply, Jack Leach claiming three for 29 from 13 overs.
Abell was let off when still on his overnight 52, edging Chappell to second slip where Miles Hammond somehow contrived to spill him.
Gloucestershire’s already lengthy injury list was then extended when skipper Graeme van Buuren crashed into an advertising board attempting to prevent a boundary and had to leave the field nursing a badly jarred right shoulder.
The Somerset total had progressed to 361 when Steve Davies was caught behind driving for 37 to give loan recruit Wheal a first Gloucestershire wicket. But Gregory’s arrival saw Somerset accelerate immediately as he lifted left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar for a straight six.
Abell, who must surely be on England’s radar, played his part in raising the scoring rate and reached a 202-ball hundred with a single, courtesy of a misfield.
Gregory smashed the next delivery from part-time spinner Jacob Bethel straight for six and by lunch the pair had added 92 from 90 balls.
The afternoon saw Gregory go to fifty with his third six, a pull off Chappell, and it was just a case of how many the visitors wanted.
Abell was eight short of his careerbest, made against Surrey three weeks ago, when top-edging a sweep off Zafar to Wheal at deep square and Gregory robbed himself of a hundred, run out by Wheal.
Some lusty blows took Overton to 35 before Abell called a halt in midafternoon. There were 11 overs before tea and the first ball of the opening one saw Peter Siddle pin George Scott lbw.
Having kept wicket for 147 overs, James Bracey found himself walking out to bat at three with hardly a break. He rode his luck at times, but also hit six fours in reaching 39 before pushing forward to the final ball of Leach’s first over and edging the England left-arm spinner to Overton at slip.
Leach struck again as Harris, on 32, guided the last delivery of his fifth over into the hands of Tom Banton at short-leg and then grabbed his third wicket when Hammond edged a back-foot defensive shot to Overton.