Somerset’s win raises hopes of historic title
Davey plays leading role as Yorkshire are overcome inside three days at Taunton
SOMERSET’S hopes of a first County Championship title were given a massive boost by a crushing 298-run victory over Yorkshire inside three days at Taunton’s County Ground.
Set an unlikely 426 to win, the visitors were bowled out for just 127 yesterday, with Will Fraine forced to bat at seven with a runner because of a knee problem and Ben Coad absent ill. Seamer Josh Davey claimed five for 21 from 11.2 overs.
Somerset had earlier built on their overnight second-innings score of 269 for five before being dismissed for 329, with George Bartlett making 47, Roelof van der Merwe 30 and Jamie Overton 18.
Keshav Maharaj returned five for 122 for match figures of ten for 176 to become the leading Championship wicket-taker for Yorkshire this year, with 38 in only five appearances.
Somerset took 19 points from the game to Yorkshire’s three and, with Essex battling to save their game against Warwickshire at Edgbaston, the Westcountry county look set to enter the last two Division One
games in pole position to win the competition.
The day began with Somerset looking to add quick runs. They lost Lewis Gregory for 39, Bartlett and Dom Bess early on, but Van der Merwe and Overton produced some lusty blows to take the hosts’ lead beyond 400.
There was a moment of humour when Van der Merwe pulled a ball towards the boundary, ran while following the path of the ball, and crashed into bowler Tim Bresnan mid-pitch. Both men went down, but with no injury resulting.
When Van der Merwe fell to Maharaj, it meant the left-arm spinner had taken 31 wickets in six innings against Somerset, but the home side were buoyant over what looked sure to be a winning lead and soon set about finishing the match.
Adam Lyth was well caught low down at third slip by Jamie Overton off Davey with only seven on the board and Gary Balance fell in the final over before lunch, caught behind off a snorter from Overton.
Jonathan Tattersall had replaced Fraine as Lyth’s opening partner and he was unbeaten on 14 at the interval, with Yorkshire 47 for two.
That became 54 for three when Tattersall, on 20, was caught at first slip by James Hildreth looking to withdraw the bat from a delivery by Overton, who was working up good pace.
Harry Brook fell to a poor shot, bowled playing back to Van der Merwe, and it was 94 for five when Bresnan, who had pulled a defiant six off Gregory, was run out by a direct hit from Bess at backward point after a mix-up with Tom Kohler-Cadmore over a single.
Kohler-Cadmore edged another catch to Hildreth off the impressive Davey, who quickly followed up by pinning Maharaj leg-before for a duck and taking a return catch to remove the stricken Fraine.
Steve Patterson delayed the inevitable with a fighting 24 not out, but when Duanne Olivier was well caught by Bess over his shoulder at point off Davey the Yorkshire innings ended as Coad was unable to bat.
The result – Yorkshire’s fifth heaviest first-class defeat in terms of runs – mathematically ends their hopes of winning the title. Davey, playing only his fourth Championship match of the season, returned match figures of eight for 51.
Somerset travel to Southampton’s Ageas Bowl to face Hampshire next week before a potentially historic home game against Essex, starting on September 23.
Somerset head coach Jason Kerr said: “I’m not mentioning the title in the dressing room. Of course, we’re aware of people outside discussing it, because it would be a first for the club, but we want to continue focusing on one game at a time and going about things the way we have done all season.
“We try to build pressure on the opposition, which is something the lads have done really well, and, if you do it for long enough, the rewards will come,” Kerr added.
“Tom Abell [Somerset’s captain] and I thought the pitch would suit Josh Davey. He has had a frustrating season because of an injury at the wrong time and has not played as often as he would have liked, so it was great to see him return careerbest figures.
“Now it’s on to Hampshire next week. There will be some tricky selection decisions ahead of that game, because we’re creating an environment where everyone is desperate to play.”