Abell and Rew stage Somerset fightback on Day One
Unbeaten centuries from Tom Abell and James Rew helped Somerset fight back from a perilous 80 for four to dominate the first day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match with Lancashire at Taunton.
By the close, the hosts had posted 311 for four after losing the toss, Abell contributing 119, off 242 balls, with 13 fours and a six, and 19-year-old Rew 114, from 240 deliveries, including 16 fours and a six, to an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 231.
It was Abell’s 14th first class century and Rew’s second. They came together before lunch and batted for the rest of the day, barely playing a false stroke.
James Anderson was the most successful Lancashire bowler with two for 56 from 19 overs, but it proved a frustrating day for the visitors after a promising start.
Somerset’s new-look top order has yet to fire this season, with the three signings recruited to strengthen it struggling to make an early impact.
So it proved again under cloudless skies, Sean Dickson registering a third duck in five innings when lbw pushing forward to Anderson in the third over, with the total on five.
It was 24 for two when Tom Lammonby, on 15, was caught at second slip by Keaton Jennings off Anderson in the ninth over. Without a run added, Cameron Bancroft continued his low key start for Somerset, edging a defensive shot off Tom Bailey to wicketkeeper George Bell and departing for seven.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore, the third new player in Somerset’s top five this season, looked to be finding some form, striking a straight six off George Balderson and several crisp fours in a stand of 56 with Abell.
But having reached a fluent 38, the former Yorkshire player carelessly clipped a ball from Colin de Grandhomme off his legs in the air to fine leg where Bailey pouched a low catch.
At 80 for four in the 24th over, Somerset were in an all too familiar position and supporters in a 2,000 first day crowd at the Cooper Associates County Ground must have feared the worst.
But Abell and Rew took the score to 91 for four at lunch and went on to flourish the afternoon session on a pitch offering little encouragement to Lancashire’s seamers.
Anderson’s four overs at the start of the session went for 26 runs, Abell producing one of the shots of the day with a sweetly-timed on drive for four off the England bowler.
Rew, who impressed greatly on his debut season for Somerset last year, punished anything overpitched on his legs or delivered short outside off stump.
Abell was typically unflustered in reaching a 109-ball half-century, with 7 fours, before Lancashire turned to the left-arm spin of Tom Hartley at 165 for four.
The century partnership was brought up off 34 overs and Rew moved to his fifty with a boundary to long-on, having faced 119 deliveries and hit 10 fours.
By tea, the scoreboard read 199 for four, with Abell on 74, having swept a six off Hartley, and Rew on 57.
An Abell four to third man off de Grandhomme in the final session extended the partnership to 147, a record for Somerset’s fifth wicket against Lancashire.
Rew had also been involved in the previous record of 145, compiled with Lewis Goldsworthy against the same opposition on his Championship debut at Southport last summer.
The England Under-19 and Lions player made 70 in that game, displaying an early appetite for batting long in red ball cricket, which was evident again in a patient knock.
Abell went to his hundred with two boundaries in an over from de Grandhomme. He had faced 203 balls and hit 13 fours and a six, rarely looking in the slightest discomfort.
The same over saw Somerset claim a first batting point. Lancashire took the second new ball at 251 for four, but it made no impact.
An exquisite cover-drive off Saqib Mahmood for his 14th boundary took Rew to three figures off 223 balls and he quickly celebrated with a pulled six off Balderson.
Report by ECB Reporters Network.
