Heavy rain ends hopes of 400 partnership
JOE Clarke and Will Young were denied the chance of a 400 partnership when heavy rain washed out most of the final day of Nottinghamshire’s Vitality County Championship Division One match with Somerset at Taunton.
Only nine overs were possible at the start of the morning session, which began with the visitors 418-2 in their second innings, leading by 157 runs. Having already broken a Notts record for a third-wicket stand, which had stood since 1903, Clarke and Young added 22 runs, taking the total to 440 before the rain set in at 11.40pm with their partnership extended to 392.
No further play was possible before umpires Russell Warren and David Millns abandoned the game at the conclusion of a 1pm lunch period.
Clarke was left unbeaten on 213 and Young on 174 as Somerset took 15 points from the draw while Notts took 10.
The early finish also deprived the pair of a chance to break the Notts record stand for any wicket, the unbroken opening stand of 406 put together by Darren Bicknell and Guy Welton against Warwickshire at Edgbaston in 2000.
But it was a welcome respite for Somerset’s bowlers, who had toiled away unsuccessfully for all but 10 minutes of day three as Clarke and Young dominated without either giving a chance.
Ironically, the last couple of overs of the game produced a more even contest as a ball change with the score on 434-2 worked in the home side’s favour.
The replacement ball immediately started to nip both ways off the seam and both Craig Overton and Migael Pretorius went past the bat in a manner that was never the case before the switch.
Still Clarke and Young survived. By the time the match ended, Clarke had faced 327 balls, hitting 25 fours and six, while Young had stood firm for 334 deliveries, striking 16 fours and 2 sixes.
Together they batted for 102 overs and transformed a game which Somerset looked to have in their control after establishing a first innings lead of 261.
Clarke said: “I had made two hundreds this season without going on to a really big score, so this has to be the most satisfying, particularly within the context of the game.
“The partnership with Will was outstanding. We fed off each other well and kept each other going.
“It was the first game this year with the Duke ball but that made no difference to how I approached my innings. As always, I just tried to keep things simple and cash in on the confidence I am feeling with the bat at the moment.
“Will Young just oozes class. He had not had many days in the country before we travelled down to play here after a long flight from New Zealand, so to fit back into the team so seamlessly was amazing.
“We have to improve as a side because we have been putting ourselves in positions we don’t want to be in. We need to be in control and pushing to win games, so although it was good to get points from this one, we know as a group we have to be better.”