Glamorgan are 39/1 at the end of the first day of their friendly against Somerset at Taunton after the home side had declared on 262/8.
Close of Play report
By tea, Glamorgan had restricted a strong Somerset batting line-up to 178/6 from 57 overs, with the commendable performance of the Welsh county’s attack mirroring that during the first two sessions of last year’s contest in the Bob Willis Trophy at Taunton.
As last year, the Somerset tail then wagged – this time albeit briefly – in a session which also saw Tom Cullen taking the gloves after tea. Ed Byrom began by off-driving David Lloyd for four but then slipped backing up and failed to beat a return throw from Jamie McIlroy and was run out for 40. His departure saw Marchant de Lange arrive in the middle to face his former colleagues but after a single the fast bowler edged Lloyd to Cullen. Josh Davey replaced him and lofted Callum Taylor over long-on for six before seeing Somerset to 200 in the 62nd over.
Lewis Gregory pulled and on-drove Joe Cooke for a pair of sixes before Davey swatted him for four to mid-wicket followed by a muscular drive to long-on for four. Davey followed that with a couple of pulls for six to bring up the fifty partnership before reverse-sweeping Taylor for four and off-driving the spinner to complete a 38-ball fifty. Somerset then declared on 262/8 with 55 minutes remaining in the day.
David Lloyd got the scoreboard moving immediately as he pulled his first ball from Gregory to the ropes behind square-leg, but three balls later he edged a drive and was spectacularly caught by teenage wicket-keeper James Rew as the Taunton schoolboy dived to his right in front of first slip. Andrew Balbirnie joined Nick Selman and flicked Overton to the ropes at square-leg before de Lange had a short salvo shortly before the close during which Selman twice clipped the pace bowler to square-leg for four.
Teatime update
Somerset began the post-lunch session on 90/2 but, within seven balls, it had become 93/3 as Dan Douthwaite removed James Hildreth who chipped a delivery straight to Nick Selman at short mid-wicket. George Bartlett joined Tom Abell who drilled Dan Douthwaite through mid-wicket for four before flicking him to the ropes at fine-leg. Bartlett then pulled the all-rounder for four before two balls later padding-up to a delivery and being adjudged l.b.w.
Abell then straight drove Douthwaite for four before Lukas Carey beat the outside edge of Ed Byrom’s bat with three successive deliveries. Joe Cooke also had a trundle from the Old Pavilion End and was driven straight for four in consecutive balls by Byrom before Abell completed his half-century from 110 balls. But with the total on 132 Abell was ‘Cooked’ as Joe found the outside edge of his bat with Chris taking his third catch behind the stumps to give the bowler his first wicket for the 1st XI. He nearly claimed a second later in the over as Craig Overton got an inside edge to an expansive drive.
Byrom then cover-drive McIlroy for four before Overton played a pair of fierce straight drives against Cooke. His aggression prompted the introduction of Callum Taylor after 50 overs with the off-spinner also being dispatched through the covers by Overton. Timm van der Gugten also returned for his third spell and was steered through backward point by Byrom, but later in the over the Dutchman pinned Overton in front of the stumps and the umpire upheld the l.b.w. appeal.
167/6 saw Lewis Gregory join Byrom shortly before the interval and he announced his arrival with a booming on-drive against van der Gugten.
Lunchtime Update
Having won the toss and elected to bat in the sunny but chilly conditions, Somerset’s openers Tom Banton and Tom Lammonby faced the new ball pairing of Timm van der Gugten and Lukas Carey. Banton struck the day’s first boundaries as he crisply on-drove each bowler through mid-wicket, but he departed in the sixth over as he feathered an edge to wicket-keeper Chris Cooke.
17/1 saw Tom Abell, the home captain, make his way to the middle to join Lammonby who found the ropes as he elegantly on-drove van der Gugten. Abell began with a firm on-drive before nonchalantly driving Carey through mid-wicket, followed by a pull for six over square-leg. Dan Douthwaite and Jamie McIlroy then entered the attack with the latter removing Lammonby with his second delivery as the opener edged a leg glance into Cooke’s gloves as Somerset lost their second wicket on 37.
Having been joined by James Hildreth, Abell cover-drove Douthwaite before his highly experienced partner repeated the stroke against the all-rounder. Abell then unfurled another cover-drive against McIlroy before Hildreth advanced down the wicket and clipped David Lloyd over mid-wicket for four before cover-driving the Glamorgan vice-captain.
Timm van der Gugten then returned for a second spell shortly before lunch and was late cut by Abell for four as Somerset went to the interval on 90/2. Please note that the contest started at 12noon, with the lunch interval running from 1400 until 1440, tea between 1640 and 1700 with the close of play at 1900. Hours of play will revert to an 1100 start on subsequent days.
Live ball-by-ball scores are available by clicking here, courtesy of the PCS Pro scoring software, whilst a live stream is also available below, courtesy of our friends at Somerset CCC.