Somerset stand between Bears and 2021 title glory
WARWICKSHIRE are one powerful day’s cricket away from lifting the County Championship title after a strong fightback against Somerset on the third day in Birmingham.
Lancashire’s nail-biting one-wicket win over Hampshire at Liverpool has left the Bears with a very simple equation. Victory over Somerset will bring the title to Edgbaston for the eighth time in the club’s history.
The situation is simple, but forcing victory will be a far from that for Will Rhodes’ side on an excellent batting pitch. They closed the third day on 179 for one – 157 ahead, so need to press on briskly with the bat on day four to give themselves time to try to take ten wickets on a placid surface.
The title-chasers spent the first two sessions of the third day in the dirt as Somerset, replying to 367, ground onward from their overnight 239 for five to reach 389.
Visitors’ head coach Jason Kerr stated the previous evening that “whoever wins the title is going to have to earn it”, and his players showed a degree of resolve which matched his words.
Steven Davies (52) fell in the second over of the day when he edged Tim Bresnan to Michael Burgess. Bresnan then struck again when he trapped Craig Overton lbw, though Overton’s two-run stay had eaten up 43 minutes.
Somerset’s batting line-up has not over-achieved of late, but this time they delivered some important partnerships. After Davies and Lewis Gregory (68) added 60, Gregory and Jack Leach (49) put on 54, and Leach and Josh Davey added 56.
On an unforgiving pitch, there was little the depleted home attack – without the injured Olly Stone, Olly Hannon-Dalby and Henry Brookes – could do but persevere.
The indefatigable Bresnan was the pick, finishing with three for 35, supported by Danny Briggs (three for 77) and Chris Woakes (three for 100).
Trailing by 22, Warwickshire had a session to regain the initiative and they did so. Rob Yates (72no) and Dom Sibley (50) batted well to add 119 in 28 overs and Rhodes added impetus with 42 in 29 balls. Together the trio supplied their side with a springboard to a potential final-day victory and the Championship.
LV= Insurance County Championship Division One – Edgbaston: Warwickshire 367 (S R Hain 83, W M H Rhodes 60, D P Sibley 56, D R Briggs 53 no, C Overton 5-88) & 179-1 (R M Yates 72 no, D P Sibley 50), Somerset 389 (L Gregory 68, Azhar Ali 60, T A Lammonby 59, S M Davies 52).