Somerset dominant on day 3 against Glamorgan

Somerset dominant on day 3 against Glamorgan

A sixth first-class hundred for Tom Abell and maiden first-class fifty for concussion substitute Ben Green saw Somerset to 290-7 and a mammoth 455 run-lead over Glamorgan on Day 3 in Taunton.

The home side then took five wickets to see Glamorgan still with plenty of work to do tomorrow, 126-5 at the close.

Although the day did start well for Glamorgan, with James Hildreth, nicked off by Hogan for 45 with the first ball of the day.

Marchant De Lange hit George Bartlett on the head earlier in the match, so 22-year-old Ben Green came in as a concussion replacement. It was only his third first-class match and first since 2018.

Green did well to avoid going a similar way to the man he replaced, De Lange’s pace the biggest threat from the Glamorgan side it nearly hit the Exeter allrounder in the head early on.

De Lange and Michael Hogan did all the bowling for Glamorgan, until spin was first introduced at 11.50 in the form of Kieran Bull from the River End.

After a brief spell for Graham Wagg, Bull and Dan Douthwaite operated in tandem until lunch when Somerset were 210-3.

First over after the restart Green got lucky with a top edged pull off Douthwaite falling into no-man’s-land, and not long later was dropped at mid-wicket by Wagg off Bull.

Tom Abell then reached his sixth first-class century, but only his second at the Cooper Associates County Ground. Bull’s over to Abell went 4,4 (100 reached),6,6, 4, out.

His 167-ball innings included 13 fours and those two, last over sixes.

With a lead of already well over 400, Abell allowed Davies to come out to bat, perhaps wanting a personal sit down and break before going out to hunt 10 Glamorgan wickets.

Also perhaps wanting Ben Green to have the chance to reach his maiden first-class 50. Green duly obliged but only after some sumptuous Steve Davies strokes, and last ball of the over ones.

Davies was bowled for 18 as he missed an ambitious slog sweep off Bull. The new batsmen kept coming, and shortly after, kept returning.

Green went for 54, Jamie Overton for 0 and van der Merwe for two, in a fairly pointless period of play after Abell got out, and an even more silly patch after Davies’ elegant 18. Only 12 runs were scored after Davies departed, for the loss of four wickets.

At last a 454-run lead was deemed enough just before 3pm on Day 3, leaving Glamorgan with four and a half sessions to bat to save the match.

The third ball of Glamorgan’s second innings, for the second time in the match, Nick Selman left a ball he should not have. An in-swinger from Craig Overton cannoned into his pad and Glamorgan were 0-1 after 3 deliveries.

Wicket number two for Somerset saw Kiran Carlson depart; bowled Craig Overton, caught at second slip by brother Jamie. Glamorgan 10-2.

Charlie Hemphrey got to 20 but then pulled out of a pull off Jamie Overton too late. His leading edge went straight up, caught and bowled, Glamorgan 29-3.

Billy Root and Chris Cooke kept the four Somerset seamers at bay for well over an hour either side of tea. Root was dropped by Lammonby in the gully before he got off the mark but looked solid enough until the spinner came on.

His third attempt at a reverse sweep (all missed) saw Root bowled for 26 by van der Merwe, leaving Dan Douthwaite to come in at 95-4.

Along with wicket-keeper captain Chris Cooke, the young allrounder survived well until the final over when Douthwaite fell lbw to Jamie Overton for 6.

Cooke 67* needs to play an absolute blinder – along with someone else and/or rain – to give Glamorgan any hope of not losing this match tomorrow.

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