Recent Match Outline – Somerset vs Northamptonshire Central Group 2020


Somerset 166 (Sanderson 5-28) and 222 (J Overton 68, C Overton 53, Sanderson 4-61, Berg 4-64) whip Northamptonshire 67 (C Overton 4-12, Davey 3-23) and 154 (Vasconcelos 52, J Overton 4-26, Brooks 4-40) by 167 runs

A maximum of 120 overs used to be deemed a sensible first-innings limit to give protection to bowlers all over the Bob Willis Trophy. But Somerset needed no extra conditions to give their players a break after sending down only 75 to defeat Northamptonshire by 167 runs at Wantage Street.

A kamikaze match used to be completed on the second one evening with Northants losing 6 for 6 in 24 balls to be hustled out for 154. An improvement on 67 all out in the first innings, and development is indeed the aim for Northants in this truncated season.

Victory is the only currency for Somerset after such a lot of near-misses in the County Championship in recent seasons and they again showed their ruthless streak with the ball, probing absent enough to find the home batsmen wanting in their ability to consistently leave out of doors off stump.

Jamie Overton took 4 for 26, completing a jolly fine day after slugging 68 from 43 balls either side of lunch – the highest score of the match – to make sure Somerset once again claimed momentum at the change of innings. It used to be most essential too after his side were 53 for 6 trying to build on a first-innings lead of 99.

A target of 322 seemed a world absent for Northants and even though they enjoyed a better session to tea – reaching 104 for 3 with Ricardo Vasconcelos making an appealing 52 – a run of wickets never seemed far absent. Losing Vasconcelos four balls into the evening session ended any realistic hope.

The end used to be brutal. Charlie Thurston gloved Jamie Overton down the leg side trying to pull. Adam Rossington also tried to pull, missed and used to be provided leg before – even though replays indicated height and line will have to have been considerations for Rob Bailey.

Jack Brooks found Gareth Berg’s out of doors edge and he used to be held to start with slip for a fourth-ball duck and next ball a full delivery trapped Ben Sanderson lbw and this time there used to be absolutely no debate. Blessing Muzarabani’s stroke to continue to exist the hat-trick used to be effective whether not most often advised.

Craig Overton belts down the ground Getty Images

Brooks ended the match with a fourth wicket and completed a fine game having struck a momentum-shifting 36 from No. 11 on the first afternoon and later run out Vasconcelos.

The denouement used to be becoming for a game played a breakneck speed. After 21 wickets on the first day Somerset simply determined to strap in for the ride on the second one morning. But instead of merely bracing themselves for the bumps down the mountain, they floored the accelerator and whacked 160 in 25 overs to lunch.

The aggressive tactic used to be a response to their precarious position – leading by only 152 with four wickets in hand. The lower order broke free and Craig Overton and Roelof van der Merwe swung successfully to add 67 in 51 deliveries.

Craig Overton struck three sixes – hoisting Berg over long-on then flicking him beyond square leg and playing the same shot against Sanderson. His brother Jamie then saw the bet and raised him by one with a twosome of pulls, a vicious smear over long-off and a hoick that just cleared deep midwicket as 48 runs came in 37 balls after lunch to push Somerset out of sight.

Northants also determined that positivity used to be required to have a sniff of the target and Vasconcelos struck six fours in 10 balls to achieve his half-century. But in the over after tea, he poked at a ball from Josh Davey some two feet out of doors off stump and used to be taken at second slip.

The same dismissal – albeit from a much tighter line that demanded a stroke – removed Ben Curran. Emilio Homosexual fell in very similar fashion, held to start with slip feeling for one from Jamie Overton that could definitely have been left alone.

Rob Keogh tamely lobbed a return catch to Brooks trying to work a full outswinger to leg and the last six wickets fell in the time it takes to drive from Minehead to Watchet.


Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.