Skipper Lewis Gregory claimed six wickets and rookie opener Josh Thomas hit an excellent maiden century as Somerset dominated the opening day of the County Championship Division One match with Yorkshire at Taunton.
After shedding the toss, Yorkshire progressed to 124-3 beneath overcast skies, with Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow going nicely, solely to lose their final seven wickets for 38 runs, Gregory taking 5 of them in finishing 16 probing overs for figures of 6-43.
Root made 33 and Bairstow 34, whereas opener Fin Bean contributed 35 to a complete of 162. In reply, Somerset slipped to 35-3 earlier than 21-year-old Thomas led a formidable restoration with 136 not out off 150 balls that noticed them shut on 201-3, Tom Abell unbeaten on 41.
Somerset gave a Championship debut to 18-year-old Thomas Rew, the England Below-19 captain taking break day from his A Stage research at King’s Faculty, Taunton, to affix elder brother James within the group
A green-tinged pitch supplied tempo and motion for the seamers and Yorkshire had already misplaced Adam Lyth, lbw to left-arm seamer Alfie Ogborne, when the floodlights have been switched on at 11:20 BST.
James Wharton spent 19 balls on nought earlier than edging Gregory to wicketkeeper James Rew, the supply after being dropped at second slip by Craig Overton, to make it 48-2. That turned 64-3 when Bean nicked one other catch to Rew in Migael Pretorius’ second over.
Root and Bairstow demonstrated their high quality with a half-century stand off simply 42 balls, Root blossoming from a cautious begin with three straight pushed fours in an Ogborne over.
Bairstow was aggressive from the outset, however had a life on 22 when the usually dependable Overton spilled one other slip probability, this break day Pretorius within the ultimate over earlier than lunch, which was taken at 115-3.
With ten runs added within the afternoon session, Gregory pierced Root’s defence and bowled him off an inside edge. It was 140-5 when Overton responded to dropping Bairstow by taking his wicket, courtesy of an inside edge via to Rew.
Gregory then struck thrice within the thirty seventh over, bowling Matthew Revis, shouldering arms, with the primary ball earlier than pinning former Somerset team-mate Dom Bess leg earlier than with the fourth after which having Logan van Beek caught at third slip off the sixth.
The impressed Somerset captain had George Hill dropped on one by Abell at first slip earlier than clear bowling Jhye Richardson aiming an ethereal drive. Overton completed the Yorkshire innings by having Hill caught for 18 off a top-edged pull.
Somerset’s reply started badly when Archie Vaughan fell for seven, caught behind edging a defensive shot off Jack White and Tom Lammonby adopted for 5, trapped lbw by some late inswing from Richardson.
When James Rew was nicely caught low down by Bean at third slip off White for seven, the hosts have been in hassle. However Thomas counter-attacked with an array of sweetly-timed photographs simply earlier than tea, which was taken at 63-3.
The left-hander continued to flourish after the break, reaching his half-century off 54 balls, with 9 fours. On ten, he had edged Richardson between wicketkeeper Bairstow and first slip at catchable peak and it proved a giant second.
A pulled six off Revis took Thomas previous his earlier finest Championship rating of 86, made towards Essex at Chelmsford final season. One other pulled boundary off the identical bowler introduced up a memorable hundred, off simply 109 balls, with 14 fours.
Abell was a reassuring presence on the different finish because the pair put collectively a century partnership off 149 deliveries. He too minimize free with six over long-on off Bess to take Somerset into the lead. By stumps the stand was price 166.
Report by ECB Reporters’ Community, supported by Rothesay.
