Somerset And Nottinghamshire Play Out High-Scoring Draw
Somerset and Nottinghamshire played out a high-scoring draw in the first Vertu Motors derby of the County Championship season at Taunton.
Somerset went into the match on the back of draws in the opening two games, with Nottinghamshire having bounced back from an opening round loss to Essex with a draw against Worcestershire.
Somerset were very much on top on the opening day of the match, with Craig Overton on form with the ball as the home sound bounced back from losing the toss and being asked to bowl first.
Overton bowled Haseeb Hameed before a run had been scored and wickets would fall at regular intervals as the visitors were bowled out for 193 – with Matthew Montgomery’s 58 being the only real resistance.
Having taken maximum bowling points, Somerset then ended the opening day having reached 116-1, with Matt Renshaw and Sean Dickson putting on 111 for the opening wicket.
Moving into the lead on the second day for the loss of four wickets, Somerset would ultimately take a healthy first innings lead as Overton followed up his performance with the ball with a fine knock of 95 not out from 111 balls, whilst Migael Pretorious also shone with 77 from 70 balls as the tail added valuable runs.
Nottinghamshire therefore started their second innings trailing by 261, and had slot Ben Slater by the end of the day to sit on 38-1 overnight.
After Hameed fell early on, Somerset looked to be favourites to take the win, but Joe Clarke and Will Young then produced an astonishing display with the bat to set Nottinghamshire’s biggest-ever third wicket stand.
Clarke would end the day on 209 not out with Young on 156 as the pair put on 370 runs – surpassing a record that had stood since 1903.
With Nottinghamshire suddenly holding an unexpected lead, there appeared to be a chance of battling for a victory on the final day but the weather would have other ideas and having taken the partnership to 392, the match was abandoned due to rain with Nottinghamshire on 440-2.
Somerset take 15 points from the draw, with Nottinghamshire taking ten points.
Are you looking for a new car?