Match Report: Somerset vs. Kent
Kent faced Somerset at The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton in their penultimate match of the 2023 LV= Insurance County Championship.
Kent Men’s final LV= Insurance County Championship match of the Summer is at home to Lancashire from 26 September!
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Day Four Report:
Kent took six LV= Insurance County Championship points back to Canterbury after drawing with Somerset at Taunton.
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The visitors were bowled out for 235 after Somerset had declared their first innings total on an overnight 404 for four, Joe Denly making a priceless 73 to guide his side from a perilous 31 for four. Skipper Tom Abell was the pick of the home bowling attack with four for 52, while Lewis Gregory claimed three for 49.
Trailing by 169 and faced with a possible 41 overs in their second innings, Kent made a better fist of things and were 44 for two when the players shook hands at 16:30. They took six points from the game and Somerset 12.
But the declaration also offered the hosts their only chance of winning the game. And it soon looked more than an outside bet as Kent lost four wickets in the first 10.3 overs of the day, Gregory claiming three of them from the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion End.
The experienced all-rounder had Ben Compton caught behind pushing forward, Daniel Bell-Drummond pouched at mid-wicket off a full toss and Jack Leaning leg-before in a seven-over opening spell of three for 30 that included four no-balls.
Jack Brooks, on his final Somerset appearance, weighed in with the wicket of Tawanda Muyeye, well caught low down by Andy Umeed at second slip and there was clear evidence of help for the seamers in a pitch that retained a tinge of greenness.
The visitors’ need for batting points saw them bat positively in adversity, aided by an unusually wayward three overs from Neil Wagner, which cost 32 runs, mainly due to over-pitching. Denly and Harry Finch added 54 in 10.1 overs before the latter nicked a drive off seamer Abell through to wicketkeeper James Rew.
Denly was severe on anything around half-volley length, producing a string of well-timed straight and cover drives to move to 40 by lunch, which was taken at 110 for five.
The afternoon session began well for Kent with Marcus O’Riordan providing good support for Denly, who went to a precious half-century off 74 balls, with 8 fours. The pair built on the score with increasing confidence and had added 71 in 17.2 overs when O’Riordan fell lbw moving across his stumps to a delivery from Abell.
Still it seemed Kent might avoid the follow-on and perhaps notch a batting point until a clatter of wickets with the total on 200 saw Abell gain another leg-before decision to remove Denly before striking again four balls later, bowling Jas Singh for a duck.
With no addition to the score, Joey Evison, who had batted well for his 23, pulled a short ball from Wagner to Tom Banton at square-leg. Michael Hogan, injured bowling on the first day, walked out with a runner and contributed 19 to a last-wicket stand of 35 with Arafat Bhuiyan before having his stumps scattered by Abell, who had been prevented from bowling by a side problem for much of the season.
Tea was taken before Compton and Muyeye launched the Kent follow-on, knowing their side had garnered only one bonus point from the match and desperate to ensure five for the draw.
There was greater assurance to their batting in bright sunshine, but with the total on 34 in the 11th over Davey had Muyeye well caught by the diving Abell at third slip for 24. Compton edged a ball from Wagner that left him through to Rew, but by then the draw was inevitable and after one over from occasional spinner Banton the players shook hands.
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Kent head coach Matt Walker said: “It was a messy week for us really, with the weather and the disappointing performance on Day One, but in the end we have shown a good spirit.
“It’s not an easy game to evaluate. I actually thought we batted pretty well today, even though we couldn’t get beyond the follow-on mark.
“We saw some classic Joe Denly and his was a really important innings for us. He started the season like it was going to be a big one for him, but it hasn’t worked out that way and it was great to see him playing as we know he can.”
Looking forward to Kent’s final match at home to Lancashire when the Division One relegation battle will be settled, Walker said: “We must approach it as a game we have to win, whether or not that proves the case..
“Michael Hogan will not be available after his injury here, but we have two spinner fresh to come into the side and whoever plays we will need two or three big performances, preferably more.
“Sam Billings will be available, but that doesn’t mean he will be selected. Harry Finch has done really well for us and I don’t foresee many changes to the batting line-up.”
Day Three Report:
Somerset’s Tom Kohler-Cadmore celebrated his England call-up with a savage assault on Kent’s injury-hit bowling attack on the third day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match at Taunton.
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Summoned to take part in the one-day international series against Ireland at the conclusion of the game, the uncapped 29-year-old smashed 8 sixes in scoring 68 from just 31 balls as the home side extended their first innings total to 404 for four before rain washed out the last two sessions.
Lewis Goldsworthy marked his first Championship appearance of the season with 122, his second first class century, and Andy Umeed contributed 49 to a Somerset run blitz that saw them add 190 to their overnight 214 for two in an extended morning comprising 32.4 overs.
But it was Kohler-Cadmore’s onslaught that did most to shatter the morale of a Kent side battling relegation and without Michael Hogan, who was added to their lengthy injury list on the opening day. Coming in at 310 for three, the former Yorkshire player hit his second ball for six and went on to reach fifty off 27 deliveries.
After a second day washout, play began in more sedate fashion with Goldsworthy looking to build on his overnight score of 70 after a frustrating season in which his only previous first team cricket had come in the Metro Bank One Day Cup.
Having left out their specialist spinners and seen Hogan limp off after bowling only 11.2 overs in the innings, Kent again proved powerless to capitalise on a green pitch.
There was an extraordinary incident with the total on 245 for two and Goldsworthy on 79. He jammed down on a yorker from Jaskaran Singh and saw part of the toe of his bat fly off and dislodge a bail before dismay over a bizarre dismissal turned to relief at the umpire’s call of no-ball.
Umeed, like his partner looking to lay down a marker for next season, blossomed from a watchful start, hitting 2 fours in an over from Daniel Bell-Drummond, before a leg-glanced boundary off the same bowler took Goldsworthy to his hundred off 177 balls, with 12 fours.
Umeed cleared the ropes over wide long-on off Jack Leaning and was one short of a half-century when the Kent skipper took revenge with his off-breaks, wicketkeeper Harry Finch accepting a thin edge.
Kohler-Cadmore made his intentions clear from the start, lofting Leaning over long-off. He cleared the ropes seven more times, including twice in a Joe Denly over and three times in one from Arafat Bhuiyan, losing the second new ball by blasting it into and beyond a car park.
Kent had delayed taking it, but were forced to do so when two extra overs of spin from Leaning and Denly saw Somerset add 29 runs. The second over with new cherry saw Kohler-Cadmore hit 6,4,6,6 off successive Arafat deliveries and, together with four byes and a leg-bye, cost 27.
The second of those sixes, launched into the top tier of the Ondaatje Pavilion at the Cooper Associate County Ground, took Kohler-Cadmore to a memorable half-century, which pressed his case to be more than a spectator when joining the England squad this weekend.
Goldsworthy had been wisely content to play a supporting role and an attempt at a bigger shot proved his downfall, caught at cover by Leaning off Singh, having faced 203 balls and batted for four and a half hours without giving a chance.
Kent were then presented with the sight of James Rew, the highest scorer in the Championship First Division this season, walking to the crease. He had added three runs to his tally, taking it to 1,080, by the time lunch was taken at 12.40pm
During the interval rain began falling and became heavier. It continued for much of the afternoon and umpires Tom Lungley and Martin Saggers abandoned play for the day at 16:50, with Kent having secured one bonus point in their battle for First Division survival.
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Day Two Report:
No play was possible on Day Two due to a wet outfield and constant rain throughout the morning.
Play was called off at 14:15.
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Day One Report:
Tom Lammonby repaid Somerset’s faith with his first century of the season as the hosts ran up 214 for two after losing the toss on a rain-shortened opening day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match with relegation-threatened Kent at Taunton.
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Having played in all 12 previous games without reaching three figures, the 23-year-old opener got the monkey off his back in style by hitting a brilliant 109 off 151 balls, with 16 fours. Lewis Goldsworthy marked his first Championship appearance of the season by making 70 not out and contributing to a second-wicket stand of 132.
Kent’s woes were compounded by an injury to Michael Hogan, the 42-year-old seamer limping off disconsolately with what looked like a hamstring or thigh problem having bowled 11.2 overs for 30 runs.
Morning rain led to a 1.45pm start, with the day’s play initially being reduced to 63 overs, and Kent’s bowlers looked to have ideal conditions when they took the field. The pitch was green and the floodlights were already on beneath overcast skies.
But, having left out their specialist spinners, the visitors’ seam attack failed to get enough balls in the right areas to capitalise on any movement, allowing Lammonby and Tom Abell to make a positive start to the Somerset innings.
Skipper Abell, promoted to opener in the absence of Sean Dickson, whose partner has just given birth, gave a more solid look to the top order, while Lammonby went for his shots from the outset, producing two fine straight drives for boundaries.
The left-hander hit 3 fours in an over from Arafat Bhuiyan, who struggled for line and length in his opening spell. Hogan switched ends after bowling three overs, but was unable to make a mark, while being typically economical.
First innings runs have long been a problem for Somerset, but Lammonby and Abell comfortably brought up a half-century stand in the 14th over, the former moving to a fluent fifty off 52 balls, with 10 fours.
Their partnership had reached 73 when Abell, on 20, played a loose shot to an Arafat delivery wide of off stump and edged to Tawanda Muyeye at first slip. By then Somerset were well placed and Goldsworthy, also batting higher in the order than usual having spent much of the season in the second XI, helped Lammonby build on their encouraging start.
The pair produced another half-century stand off 83 balls, both producing an array of attacking shots in taking the score to 127 for one off 31 overs at tea. Lammonby had played and missed a few times, but otherwise looked in fine form to be unbeaten on 70.
He gave a chance on 76 at the start of the final session when Daniel Bell-Drummond spilled a sharp chance at gully off Jaskaran Singh before a two through the leg side off Hogan took him to his highest score of the summer, beating the 78 made against Lancashire at Old Trafford.
The dependable Hogan departed soon afterwards. Kent’s attack lacked variety as Goldsworthy moved to 49 when more rain brought a short interruption, with three more overs lost. His fifty occupied 85 balls, with 7 fours, surely laying down a marker for regular selection next season.
A single off Joey Evison took Lammonby to his hundred off 137 balls. It had been an apparently effortless innings packed with sweetly-timed strokes, but hopes that he would still be there at stumps ended when he nibbled at a decent delivery from Bell-Drummond and edged through to wicketkeeper Harry Finch.
Goldsworthy’s innings lost nothing by comparison and he was still there, having faced 150 balls and hit 9 fours, when bad light ended play for the day at 17:55, with a possible 6.4 more overs to be bowled.
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Kent head coach Matt Walker said: “The day didn’t go as we anticipated. It was a good toss to win under cloudy skies with the pitch have been under covers for 24 hours or so.
“The wicket was very green and unfortunately we didn’t use the conditions to our favour. We just didn’t put enough balls in the right area.
“When we did there was plenty there for the bowlers. But we weren’t able to create any pressure at all.
“Tom Lammonby got one of the easier hundreds you are likely to see, so it was very disappointing.
“When you talk about injuries it always sound like you are making excuses, but they have been ongoing all season and Michael Hogan’s today has topped it off.
“You’ve got to laugh or cry. It was a big ask for our young seamers today, but they have bowled better.”
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International T20 cricket will return to Canterbury on Thursday 11 July 2024 when The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence hosts the 3rd match in England’s IT20 series against New Zealand.
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