Davies leads Somerset recovery against rivals
STEVE Davies produced a quality innings in a pressure situation as Somerset posted 312 on the opening day of the LV= County Championship match with Gloucestershire at Taunton.
Going in with his side in trouble at 80 for four, the experienced wicketkeeper-batsman hit a stylish 87, sharing a sixth-wicket stand of 116 with Craig Overton, who made 54.
Seamers David Payne, Ryan Higgins and Matt Taylor claimed three wickets each.
In three overs before the close, Gloucestershire replied with 13 for no wicket.
The visitors had won the toss at the Cooper Associates Ground and taken an early grip. The last ball of the second over, sent down by Higgins, saw Tom Lammonby edge to George Hankins at second slip.
Tom Banton began confidently, but with the total on 42 he played Payne’s final delivery of the 11th over onto his stumps and departed for 29.
Skipper Tom Abell looked untroubled moving to 26, only to fall lbw to Taylor shouldering arms.
When James Hildreth was well caught low down at square leg by Tom Lace to give Taylor a second wicket, Somerset were in danger of collapse.
It was 94 for four at lunch and things continued to go well for Gloucestershire when George Bartlett fell lbw to Higgins for 22 to make it 110 for five.
But Davies had made good use of the short boundary on the town side of the ground to gain early momentum and soon appeared to have more time than his team-mates to play his shots.
A pulled six off Taylor and some attractive strokes through the covers helped take him to a fluent half-century off 92 balls.
Overton contributed some meaty blows as the pair brought up a hundred partnership in 21 overs.
By tea, they had taken the score to 222 for five, Overton having reached his fifty off 66 deliveries, with eight fours.
Higgins broke the stand when Overton edged to Hankins in the slips and at 226 for six Somerset still had work to do.
Lewis Gregory was caught at backward point off Payne, with Gloucestershire having taken the second new ball. And when Davies was bowled off a bottom edge by the same bowler, after hitting 12 fours and a six, it looked like being the visiting side’s day.
But Josh Davey and Marchant de Lange - last man out for 37 - hit sixes off Payne in a breezy stand of 48 that brought a third batting point before Davey (17) became a maiden first-class victim for Dom Goodman.
Gloucestershire gave debuts to new overseas signing Kraigg Brathwaite, who was unbeaten on two at the close of play alongside captain Chris Dent (nine not out) and tall seamer Goodman, a 20-yearold Exeter University student, selected to play in place of the injured Josh Shaw.