Trescothick and Overton link up for historic hat-trick

At Trent Bridge Somerset (463) bt Nottinghamshire (133 & 184) by an innings and 146 runs

Craig Overton picked up a hat-trick in which Marcus Trescothick made history as Somerset rounded off an impressive season with an innings victory over Nottinghamshire yesterday in their final Specsavers County Championship match of the season.

Trescothick became the first non-wicketkeeper to take a hattrick of catches off the same bowler since G. J. Thompson, of Northamptonshire, in 1914.

Overton’s feat came just a day after his county team-mate and captain, Tom Abell, had picked up a hat-trick in Nottinghamshire’s first innings.

The home side had begun the third day at Trent Bridge on 115 for three but within 10 minutes had been reduced to 119 for six, thanks to the England international’s three-in-three burst.

Notts rallied but were unable to survive the opening session, being bowled out before lunch for 184, leaving the west country side to celebrate victory by an innings and 146 runs.

Left-hander Ben Slater, who had passed 1,000 first-class runs for the season during the earlier part of his innings, nicked the ninth ball of the day to Trescothick at second slip for 49.

The next two deliveries were identical to each other, as righthanders Samit Patel and Riki Wessels both edged into the waiting hands of Trescothick.

For Overton it was a second firstclass hat-trick, after his exploits for MCC against champion county Middlesex in Abu Dhabi last year.

Notts, who knew they were already safe from the drop into Division Two, showed some fight as Ben Duckett and Tom Moores resisted for almost an hour before the former Northamptonshire man was given out lbw to Lewis Gregory, who then had Luke Wood caught behind for four.

Josh Davey, who took three for 20, completed the formalities. He had Moores caught behind for a dogged 17 and then pinned Matt Carter lbw for 22, which included a huge pulled six off Overton.

Somerset’s victory also confirmed their status as the Division One runners-up behind champions Surrey.