LV= County Championship – Warwickshire v Somerset Day Four

LV= County Championship – Warwickshire v Somerset Day Four

Points shared at Edgbaston as Bartlett century allows Somerset to set Warwickshire 363 runs to win.

On a roller coaster day four at Edgbaston, they made a top effort of chasing their target, finishing 256-6 as they shook hands with bad light at 17.20. Warwickshire were 108 short of winning.

Neither side are statistically safe from the drop yet, but Kent I reckon are in most trouble to join Gloucestershire in Division Two next season. Warwickshire playing there next week is the most favourable game for the three relegation contenders in the last fortnight and with the form Gloucestershire and Kent are in, and the Canterbury side’s lack of crucial overseas players – I feel they are doomed.

Henry Brookes castled Lewis Goldsworthy (44) for his first wicket of the innings with the fourth ball of the day.

James Rew came in ahead of Lewis Gregory at six, taking very little time to get going, striking Indian test off-spinner Jayant Yadav for consecutive fours through the legside at the start of his 35th over of the innings.

Rew went lbw to Yadav for a quick-fire 22 before Bartlett reached his century – deprived of the strike, then stuck on 99* until just before 11am. With all the fielders up he back-foot punched Yadav past a weary looking Ollie Hannon-Dalby for four to reach the fifth century of his stop-start first-class career.

Brookes was pulled into the Eric Hollies Stand for six before on Nelson Bartlett moved too far legside off Briggs to try and play that phenomenal six over extra cover shot he played yesterday and missed – bowled for 111.

Josh Davey, back at the ground he hit the winning six over long on against Hampshire in the phenomenal 2021 T20 Blast semi-final, put on 18 with Gregory before Abell called them in, 363 runs ahead.

Somerset adding 63 in 12 overs this morning leaving Warwickshire needing 4.4 runs per over off the 82 overs that light (and plenty of Sajid Khan’s spin) should grant them.

Sajid Khan was required as early as the seventh over with Yates and Sibley cruising to 29-0 off six, at this point exceeding the run rate required comfortably. But the change of pace worked, Yates fatally going back to the sixth delivery; trapped for 11.

A man who has not yet convinced the Warwickshire fans, Alex Davies, came in at three again. Yates scored five first class centuries last year but bizarrely was pushed down to three for Davies who really should have batted three all season to allow the successful left/right combination from last campaign to continue at the top.

Sibley played a couple of glorious straight drives for four and punished Khan off the back foot through the offside as he dropped short far too often to the tune of 18 off his first four overs.

56-1 at lunch, then Khan continued to bowl poorly, Abell having to put a short third man in place at one point to save the fours easily cut between deep cover, point and slip previously. Even Dom Sibley reverse swept the overseas spinner.

Davies did beat Sibley to 50, off 73 balls, Sibley his 50th first-class 50 off 100 balls with further runs off Khan – who went for 40 off his first eight overs.

Somerset benefited from a dismissal more bizarre than Hain caught at leg gully in the reverse fixture. Aldridge bowled a long hop (he’ll say deliberate short-ish ball) first of the 37th over and Sibley hit it straight to Josh Davey positioned at a forward deep square leg in front of the near empty Hollies Stand -six if five yards either side!

Hain was nearly hit in the head first nut by a slower-ball bouncer and Davies (56) was dropped by Goldsworthy at point, both off Aldridge.

Just two runs later Davies provided the softest of dismissals chipping to mid on where Goldsworthy had just been moved to! Worryingly Goldsworthy went straight off to be replaced by sub fielder Tom Banton for the rest of the day.

Aldridge provided all three chances & suddenly all was happening out there with Somerset back on top with two new bats. Though Hain soon pulled Aldridge for six between deep fine and deep square leg to reach double figures.

165-3 at tea with 35 overs for the home side to score 199 to win.

The final session saw Hain and Rhodes accelerate to add 71 in 16.3 overs as the sun peeked out from 4pm. But yet again Brooks was the man to get a key double breakthrough.

Rhodes bowled for 44 and the usually big-striking Michael Burgess lbw first ball, for a pair in the match.

Hain stood firm, but when he tried to pinch two to Khan’s rocket arm, Yadav was run out by a whisker. Left with the bowlers, from hereon in Hain changed tack, reaching 50 off 87 balls with Briggs for company then shutting up shop for the remaining eight of 16 overs allowed to be bowled.

322 was their highest successful chase against Somerset, but that was at Taunton with a certain Brian Lara involved…

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