{"id":637233,"date":"2026-06-13T21:18:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T21:18:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/637233\/"},"modified":"2026-06-13T21:18:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T21:18:10","slug":"somerset-on-top-after-day-two-at-trent-bridge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/637233\/","title":{"rendered":"Somerset on top after day two at Trent Bridge"},"content":{"rendered":"

Somerset on top after day two at Trent Bridge<\/p>\n

SCORECARD\/MATCH CENTRE<\/a><\/p>\n

Somerset had the best of the second day of this Rothesay County Championship meeting with champions Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, ending the day with a lead of 190.<\/p>\n

Resuming earlier on 295 for seven, the visitors added only 15 more as Fergus O\u2019Neill snatched the last three wickets to return a career-best six for 72, leaving Archie Vaughan unbeaten on 66.<\/p>\n

After 45 minutes of the afternoon, however, Lewis Gregory and Jack Leach had reduced the reply to 82 for five, Leach going on to three for 44, his skipper to four for 51.<\/p>\n

Jack Haynes, reaching 57, proved the mainstay of the first division leader\u2019s relative recovery until he became the last of four wickets suddenly to fall for 15 in a total of 193. Facing 21 overs when batting again, Somerset were formidably placed on 73 for two at the close.<\/p>\n

A third-wicket alliance of 60 in 20 overs either side of lunch had revived the home side from nine for two, only for three batters to depart in 20 minutes. Leach, introduced straight after the interval, struck in his third over when Freddie McCann edged \u00a0behind for 31 and the left-arm spinner soon had Lyndon James, lbw for the match\u2019s sixth duck.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In between, Gregory, followed his new-ball removal of both openers with the key wicket of Joe Clarke from the fourth ball of his second spell. An attempted dab produced only a bottom edge into his stumps and a similar fate befell Liam Patterson-White, cutting at Leach and playing on for 29 after 40 had been added with Haynes. By tea, on 171 for six, Haynes was 43, O\u2019Neill 21.<\/p>\n

Haynes immediately reached his fifty on resumption, his care shown by a total of only four fours, but another opportune Gregory intervention saw off his partner without addition with, once again, the fourth ball of a new spell. Brett Hutton, top-edging a pull, then came and went to Migael Pretorius for six.<\/p>\n

Gregory pulled up next over and had to leave the fray but Craig Overton, taking over, inflicted the match\u2019s seventh duck when Dillon Penning fell lbw and Haynes, seeking the strike with the last man now in, swiped but skied Overton to James Rew.<\/p>\n

With a lead of 117 on first-innings and good weather predicted, Somerset were in a strong position.<\/p>\n

During a frantic start earlier, five men had fallen within 55 minutes as O\u2019Neill whipped out the visitors\u2019 remaining wickets before captain Gregory, in riposte, undid opposite number Haseeb Hameed, edging a loose drive to third slip from the reply\u2019s fourth ball, and then Ben Slater lbw for one.<\/p>\n

Vaughan, with his first fifty in 21 innings already in the bag overnight, was stranded 15 short of a career-best, as in turn Jack Leach, not adding to his 21, Pretorius and Alfie Ogborne, both without score, brought O\u2019Neill his fourth Championship five-wicket bag and his first haul of six anywhere. It well may prove in vain.<\/p>\n

At the close of play, Somerset Head Coach, Jason Kerr said: \u201cIt\u2019s been two really good days for us. There\u2019s very little pace in the pitch so we knew it would be difficult making breakthroughs but, as a group, we kept fighting. On an attritional surface that was superb<\/p>\n

\u201cThe openers kept everything calm in the evening which helped enormously, so it\u2019s a great situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are hoping to see Lewis Gregory bat after his hamstring problem but we\u2019ll assess it in the morning and see if we need to call up a replacement. Jake Ball is here if the referee thinks he\u2019s like-for-like. But we have a ridiculous amount of injuries at the moment. In my playing and coaching time it\u2019s unprecedented\u201d<\/p>\n

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