Brett Hutton’s 5-34 was impressive but the men from Nottingham did not need to rob the rich to feed the poor or rob anything really as Somerset’s batters were far too generous, gifting their wickets away to be 163 all out.
Ben Slater then showed Somerset how to bat in four-day cricket with 67*, taking them to 145-4 at the close.
Somerset fought back with impressive fast bowling from Matt Henry (2-33) particularly but are still behind the game and frustratingly again missed out on any first innings batting points.
Brett Hutton ripped through Somerset’s top order taking 3-27 before lunch. Tom Abell (19) also fell to Matt Carter as the home side were reduced to 106-4 after two hours of play.
The main talking point of the morning was the oil spill from Scott Hawkins’ grounds machinery, on a perfect length for an off spinner to a right-hand bat. This was why Carter was chosen ahead of former Taunton Deane and Kings’ College leg-spinner Calvin Harrison this morning for the Lincolnshire man’s first first-class appearance since the Bob Willis Trophy.
Somerset won the toss and opted to bat nonetheless, Tom Lammonby facing most of the early strike comfortably enough before he saw the man who has replaced him in the T20 side-Sean Dickson leave a Hutton ball onto off stump for one.
Lammonby played some nice crisp shots reaching 24 off 32 but edged to Joe Clarke at slip. Bartlett hit a sumptious back foot drive for four first ball and a cover drive for four soon after but then left one from Hutton to be lbw, although it did look high and slip-side of off stump.
Jake Ball, a man who got David Warner out with a Kookaburra ball in the Ashes in Brisbane just five years ago, looked a sorry state, struggling from both ends with line and length, costing 32 off his seven wicketless overs-the only light relief for Somerset’s sorry batters.
But Somerset did not bat long enough to make Mullaney have to bowl Ball anymore, nor go to the part-timers of Lyndon James, Matt Montgomery or himself more than the three overs for nine the former bowled.
Kasey Aldridge swept his way out of trouble off Carter, soon joined by his west country derby winning partner Craig Overton as TKC and Rew both fell within 13 balls after lunch.
It got better for Notts, Carter palming one up at slip for Clarke to have Overton off Paterson for one. 110-6 became 124-7 before 2pm. Sadly for Somerset, Overton again failing to show the allrounder capabilities he has which made him go above Lewis Gregory to bat at six just a few years ago. Today he came in after Kasey Aldridge-in form from his Old Trafford Championship 101* and match-winning 3 * in the West Country derby Friday night.
Umpire Paul Pollard-one half of the record opening partnership for Notts v Somerset in first-class cricket alongside Tim Robinson (233), gave an easy lbw decision as Josh Davey inexplicably missed a Matt Carter arm ball. Carter up to 3-24 without bowling any particularly menacing deliveries on a flat day one pitch-Somerset gifting wickets to the men from Robin Hood’s country.
Matt Henry next, bowled by the returning Hutton for seven. 150-9, Somerset continuing their hatred for first innings batting bonus points.
Nine down, Aldridge switch-hit Carter for six into the Family Stand but then gifted Hutton a five-fer trying to attack too much with just Shoaib Bashir for company.
Somerset all out for 163, for no batting points, before 3pm on day one.
Bizarrely enough Matt Henry had his first bowl in a match in Taunton with a red kookaburra ball he’s most familiar with, after weeks of T20 Blast cricket and away Championship games. He got the first breakthrough, though not until the eighth over, Hameed bowled for a duck off his 19th ball, 23-1 after 13 at tea, Henry with six overs, four maidens, three runs.
The kiwi continued in a similar vein after tea, 9-5-11-1, until Craig Overton took over from the River End come 4.30, and cost eight runs in two balls cut by Slater in his first over from that end.
Kasey Aldridge got the breakthrough of Montgomery (33) but then was rather wayward; 1-31 off five overs.
Joe Clarke looked to continue his double-hundred form from the Warwickshire match, creaming two imperious boundaries then was surprised to be given lbw to Bashir for 12-the replays did not show him hitting it as his gestures implied.
Henry produced a key chance from Slater between Rew and Abell at slip first ball of the 37th, but they both left it for each other. Just three balls later James was caught by Abell at slip for 0. 105-4.
Mullaney struck Bashir into the Colin Atkinson Pavilion amidst an aggressive 23 off 28 balls whilst Slater continued on his merry way to 67* off 125 balls-the crucial cog for Notts to get big batting points tomorrow.
