Somerset 284 (Banton 78, Abell 61, Hannon-Dalby 6-56) is 409 runs behind Warwickshire 412 and 281 for 8 (Bethell 66, Yates 57, Davies 50, Overton 4-57).
Warwickshire’s lead was reinforced on the third day of their Vitality County Championship Division One match against Somerset at Taunton by half-centuries from Rob Yates, Alex Davies, and Jacob Bethell.
After knocking Somerset out for 284 from 208 for 6 overnight, the visitors took a 128-run lead into the first innings. Oliver Hannon-Dalby claimed two more victims in his second day’s work, finishing with 6 for 56 from 18.2 overs, as Craig Overton remained undefeated at 35 and Tom Abell fell for 61.
After that, Yates and Davies put up a century partnership, and even though they faltered in the middle of the innings, Warwickshire reached stumps on 284 for 8, 409 runs ahead, thanks to a brilliant 66 from Bethell. Overton finished with a 4 for 57, but his team will need to bat on the last day to win the match.
On a morning when almost 1300 kids from 41 schools in the South West were given free entry, Somerset’s first job was to score the 55 runs required to save themselves from having to play another.
Abell left the field leg before wicket without adding to his overnight total after missing a swinging full toss in Michael Booth’s opening delivery. Moreover, Kasey Aldridge undone his fine work by chasing a wide delivery from Booth and edging to Yates at second slip, even though he had hit a couple of wonderful boundaries to go to 14.
Overton, who overcame a self-assured first ball lbw shout from Booth, was needed to provide Somerset with a captain’s innings. Following that, he played with incredible confidence, hitting six fours, and leading James Rew and Somerset to a batting point at 250 for 8.
Warwickshire knew they would be batting next when Rew hit three off a ball from Ed Barnard. With three runs scored, Rew (18) drove at a wide tempter from Hannon-Dalby and edged to first slip as the second new ball was taken at 279 for eight.
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The tall seamer managed to extract a six-wicket haul from the uninteresting hybrid surface when Hannon-Dalby bowled Migael Pretorius with a swinging yorker. After facing just 36 balls, Overton was declared undefeated.
By lunchtime, Yates and Davies had extended Warwickshire’s lead against the new ball by 25, and in the afternoon session, the two openers handled Somerset’s onslaught with ease.
Yates reached fifty first, off ninety balls, with five fours and a six. Davies reached fifty next, having faced eighty-seven deliveries and six fours. When Jack Leach bowled Davies due to a defensive tangle, the stand was at 106 after he had hit his half-century.
Yates’ short ball from Overton, which he picked out Josh Davey at fine leg, lifted the spirits of Somerset. After Sam Hain joined Will Rhodes, the two chose to be cautious and managed to get the score up to 125 for 2 at tea, with Hain having made 3 off 33 balls.
After Hain had already hit a four, Rhodes erupted into action in the last session, taking consecutive boundaries off an Aldridge over to push the score up to 150. Rhodes, on 36, attempted to pull another Overton short ball just as the innings was gathering steam, but this time he floated a catch through to wicketkeeper Rew.
Dan Mousley progressed down the pitch to Overton with the score slightly over 300, but he could only mishandle a catch to Tom Banton at mid-on, leaving Warwickshire 175 for 4.
Oliver Hannon-DalbyThe visitors’ fortunes would worsen when Hain sent Leach to mid-on for a single and Aldridge’s deft pick-up and direct hit at the wicketkeeper’s end ran Ed Barnard out. Somerset could feel that they were back in the game at 177 for 5.
Hain persevered and Bethell was unforgiving when he fell short, and together they managed to steady the Warwickshire ship with a half-century stand off 102 balls. However, at 43, Hain lost patience and holed out to mid-on off Overton.
With three overs remaining, Bethell fell leg-before to Leach after reaching a fifty on 71 balls with his second six. He then removed Overton at mid-wicket and appeared to be in excellent form. Chris Woakes chipped a catch to cover and was caught ducking, and Leach scored again.
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