Abell’s agony as Somerset suffer ‘humbling’ loss
On the day after they secured Division One status for another season, Kent thrashed Somerset by an innings and 151 runs in the LV= Insurance County Championship at Canterbury.
Hamid Qadri hit a career-high 87 as Kent made 492 in their first innings, a lead of 290. Although Kasey Aldridge recorded his best first class figures of six for 110, it was a day of pain for Somerset.
Runs flew off the bat during the first hour, but when it was Somerset’s turn to bat they collapsed to 139 all out, Matt Quinn taking three for 14 and Nathan Gilchrist, Daniel Bell-drummond and Qadri all taking two wickets apiece.
The result meant Kent leapfrogged Somerset in the final standings.
The atmosphere at the Spitfire Ground was the most relaxed it had been all year and although Conor Mckerr was removed early on for six, caught at third slip by Tom Abell off Craig Overton, the bowler limped off with an injury soon afterwards and the runs began to flow.
Qadri might be considered as purely a spinner, but he averages over 43 in first class cricket and from his overnight score of 27 not out, he raced past 50 with three boundaries off successive Jack Brooks deliveries, the third of which flew inches over the slip cordon.
Gilchrist joined Qadri and put on 48 for the ninth wicket before he was bowled by Aldridge for 14, but Qadri then hit Green for two successive sixes and a four and he eventually fell 13 short of a maiden first class ton when he edged Aldridge behind.
Somerset did not even make it to the tea interval, subsiding in 40.4 overs.
Ollie Robinson was allowed to lead Kent into the field to mark his final game before leaving for Durham and he caught Andrew Umeed off Quinn for three in the third over.
Qadri then bowled Abell middle stump for five, leaving Somerset on 19 for two at lunch.
Quinn removed George Bartlett for four, caught by Tawanda Muyeye at short midwicket with the fifth ball of the afternoon session, and Joey Evison took his maiden first class wicket for Kent when he drew an edge from James Rew, who fell for ten to a sharp catch by Daniel Bell-drummond at third slip.
Green was then dropped by Jack Leaning off Gilchrist and at this point a West Country voice in the crowd yelled: “Come on Somurrrrset!
You’ve kept them up, now get on with it!” In the next over, Green was caught behind off Belldrummond.
When Bell-drummond then had Tom Lammonby caught by Zak Crawley at first slip for 23, Overton limped on without a runner and immediately smacked a four, but he was clearly struggling and Gilchrist soon sent Aldridge’s off stump cartwheeling for 15.
Gilchrist then had Overton caught by Crawley for a brave 12 and despite some entertaining swinging from Sajid Khan, who made 40 from 19 balls, the victory was confirmed when, having hit Qadri for successive sixes, he tried his luck for a third time and was caught on the boundary by Muyeye.
Somerset’s Tom Abell said: “We’ve obviously been humbled by Kent this week.”
He said there had been a “special” feeling the previous week when the side beat Northamptonshire to guarantee their Divisio One survival because “it meant a lot to us and everyone connected with the club to stay up”.
He said they had been intent on finishing well and not resting on their laurels.
He added: “I feel that from the Lancashire game a few weeks ago I felt like we’d played some better four-day cricket, we were more competitive and had some toughfought draws. I felt we were building nicely and I was really excited about this week (against Kent).”
However, it all went wrong. “The manner of our defeat is gutting,” he said. “It’s left a pretty horrible feeling, given how far we’d come in the last few months with our red ball cricket.”
“We’ve gone out with a whimper, which is particularly disappointing.”
■ George Thomas has signed his first professional contract with Somerset.
The 19-year-old batter, who also bowls medium pace, has signed a two-year deal, which will start on November 1 and will see him remain at the Cooper Associates County Ground until at least the end of the 2024 season.
Thomas, who plays his club cricket for Taunton St Andrews, joined the Somerset Academy in 2019 after spending three years on the Emerging Player Programme.
The former King’s College student, inset, made his debut for Somerset as a 17-year-old during the 2021 Royal London Cup competition and immediately caught the eye, making 75 against Leicestershire.
He has represented England Under 19s and played an important role in the Young Lions reaching the World Cup final earlier this year.
The all-rounder was also named the Harry Burden Young Cricketer of the Year for 2021.
After signing his contract, Thomas said: “I’m really happy. This is what I’ve wanted since I found out what cricket was. I’ve been on the Pathway for over 10 years, and it feels great.
“I got a message from Andy Hurry saying that he wanted to have a meeting, and I just assumed that it was a check-up. As soon as he made the offer my face lit up and I signed it there and then.
“In the next two years I want to break my way into the First XI and make as many appearances as I can in all formats of the game and hopefully start to make a name for myself.”