Day 2 Report: Somerset v Yorkshire by John Ward

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Scorecard:	Somerset v Yorkshire
Player:	A Lyth, AW Gale
Event:	LV County Championship 2013

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DateLine: 30th May 2013

 

John Ward from Taunton, day 2
Overnight: Yorkshire (341/5) v Somerset

 

After losing the first day to rain, Yorkshire and Somerset will not find it easy to prise a result out of this match on a Taunton pitch. Yorkshire did finish this day with an advantage, however, the highlight being a dashing century by Adam Lyth.

 

Yorkshire decided to bat on winning the toss, on a morning with some sun, although it clouded over later. They lost Joe Sayers in the second over, caught in the slips off Steve Kirby for 1, but his partner Lyth flourished. He was occasionally in trouble, but he showed good form with some fluent drives and found in Phil Jaques a good partner. They took the score to 82 before Jaques fell to a fine catch by the wicket-keeper Alex Barrow, diving in front of first slip.

 

Somerset’s bowling and fielding were rather patchy. There was little that was outstanding, and Craig Meschede had a particularly disappointing day with the ball, while Gemaal Hussain proved quite fallible while fielding on the boundary. Somerset were unfortunate in that the Overton brothers and Alfie Thomas were all unavailable due to injury, and Nick Compton was away; Yorkshire, however, missed their three top players to international duty. Lunch came with Yorkshire on 110 for two, of which Lyth had 63, Hussain being the bowler.

 

During the afternoon Lyth ran to his seventh first-class century, which came up with one of his trademark cover drives for four. It took him 150 balls, but he only lasted another eight before he pulled a low catch to mid-on off Hussain for 105. He was always positive and entertaining, hitting 15 fours, if not always certain, and he left with the score 185 for three.

 

Andrew Gale played a more solid role, his fifty taking 130 balls, and another good partnership developed with Gary Ballance, taking Yorkshire through to tea at 218 for three. The bowling held no particular terrors and the pair added 80 before Balance (48) tried to cut a ball from George Dockrell and was caught at the wicket; 265 for four.

 

When the second new ball was taken, Peter Trego quickly dismissed Gale, who tried to force the ball with diagonal bat on the off side and chopped it on to his stumps for 75; 280 for five. Better could have been hoped for on this pitch in this weather against this bowling, but with the five specialist batsmen all now gone, it was up to the lower middle order to regain the initiative.

 

Adil Rashid aimed to do just that right from the start, with his usual perky brand of batting. He received good support from Andrew Hodd, and the pair added 58 in 12 overs before the rain from the Quantock Hills finally brought play to a close. Yorkshire, at 341 for five, had regained the advantage, but will probably need to rely on Somerset’s fallible batting if they are to win in the two days remaining.

 

(Article: Copyright © 2013 John Ward)