Three dropped catches, all off Rew, and one the dolly of all dollies to the great Jimmy Anderson (has it yet gone viral?), in a 40-minute spell either side of lunch cost them to chance to expose Somerset’s bowlers before their lead reached 30.
Lancashire took seven bonus points to Somerset’s five, plus the reduced five draw points for this season.
Having batted well until the early close for bad light/rain yesterday, Tom Lammonby and Sean Dickson did not last long this morning, Tom Bailey accounting for the former and Anderson the latter. Cam Bancroft also fell to Bailey for four, as often with Somerset’s top order, wickets fell in a clump-3-4 this time. 53-3.
Somerset captain and earner of his first-class best 151 in the first dig, Tom Abell again with fires to fight for his side.
Colin De Grandhomme (French for ‘of big man’) did not use his big mitts to stop a couple that fell short of him off Abell. Then he took a screamer to his right to earn Balderson Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s wicket for 16. Then he dropped Rew on nine, again at second slip.
Two booming boundaries the next over were imperious from the young wicket-keeper. Somerset 121-4 when rain brought a slightly early lunch.
Hartley got some sharp turn after the interval, Rew fortunate to survive a couple just past his off bail.
Rew on 28 with his second life, Somerset should have been 137-5.
After the second drop, Rew decided to chance his arm, not to block, so slog swept and reverse swept Hartley.
Extraordinary stuff as if the bazball way to play for a draw is to whack the ball to the boundary and get a quick 200-run lead before tea…though would even that be enough in the modern game?!
Wells then dropped him at slip on 46, 157-4, so three simple (one extremely simple-Oh Jimmy, Jimmy…) chances missed, all off the bat of Rew.
Ridiculous as cricket is, having had no lives himself, and batted his usual, assured, solid way, Abell was surprisingly bowled on 40 by Tom Bailey. Perhaps the skittish nature of Rew’s race to 46 in recent overs distracting his conversation. Looking to force a drive to a ball that was not quite there.
Now with Lewis Gregory for company and just the bowlers to follow, Rew went back into his shell. Stuck on 46 for almost a whole 30-minute commentary stint! Eventually he was caught by Wells for 47, fourth time lucky for Lancs and third time lucky for Hartley.
After pulling up injured on Friday, Kasey Aldridge managed to bowl yesterday, though admittedly expensively, not at his best. His leg muscles were well enough to sweep Hartley who bowled almost unchanged from the River End throughout the afternoon session.
Balderson came on for the last few before tea whilst Mahmood attempted some short stuff-three bumpers in the 67th over and more in the 69th-Aldridge could not get down the other end.
197-6 at tea, the draw favourite with black clouds surrounding the ground now.
Gregory and Aldridge safely negotiated whatever Lancs could throw at them with the old ball, 227-6 after 80 overs of the second innings-Hartley bowling 21 of them.
Regular second-team opening bat Aldridge twice back-foot punching for four off a now very grumpy Anderson prompting a lot of choice words.
Whipping Bailey and the three-overs-new ball through midwicket another highlight to reach 50 off 103 balls with 11 fours. Aldridge finishing 58*-his first-class best. 256-5 as they shook hands at two minutes to 5pm.
Image used with kid permission from Harry Trymp
