MATCH REPORT: Mitchell strikes but Rew century puts Lancashire on the back foot
James Rew struck a fine century, his second against Lancashire this season, and shared a century partnership with Kasey Aldridge, to shift the momentum Somerset’s way on the second day of this LV= Insurance County Championship match at Emirates Old Trafford.
Daryl Mitchell, on his Red Rose debut, and Will Williams both took three wickets apiece to help bowl Somerset out for 361 but a further four dropped chances, not all of them particularly easy, proved costly for the hosts.
In reply, Lancashire lost Luke Wells and Josh Bohannon to reach the close of play on 72-2, 289 runs behind.
Rew had resumed the day on 20 with Somerset 109-4, and he immediately received a let off when Luke Wells failed to gather a difficult, ankle-high, chance to his left at slip from an edge off Williams.
It was Mitchell who became the unexpected hero with the ball, taking three wickets during the course of the day, as Lancashire came to terms with the non-appearance of James Anderson, with the England ace side-lined by what was thought to be a minor issue that is being assessed.
Tom Lammonby became Mitchell’s first wicket for the Red Rose when he edged his 184th delivery to Anderson’s fielding replacement Rob Jones, who took an excellent catch over his head at slip, to send back the opener for 38.
That was the only wicket to fall in the morning as the game went into something of a stalemate, with Somerset batting defensively and the Lancashire bowlers, not finding much assistance from the pitch - and missing Anderson, resorting to bowling straight and drying up the scoring.
Rew and Aldridge steadily built their alliance either side of the interval, the latter thumping a mighty six just before lunch while Rew was the beneficiary of another dropped catch in the slips on 70 just after the resumption, although that shouldn’t detract from what was another fine innings from this impressive nineteen-year-old wicketkeeper/batsman.
The century partnership duly arrived from 36 overs and one ball before Mitchell, swinging the ball nicely, struck again when Aldridge on 46 edged to Wells who took a good catch at first slip.
Rew hammered a flashing square drive for four to go his third career hundred from 233 balls with 11 fours but five runs later became Mitchell’s third wicket when top edging a cut to Jones at first slip.
Craig Overton hit out aggressively to help Somerset to a second batting point, losing partner Josh Davey to a catch at mid-off off Williams for 9, but Lancashire missed out on a third bowling point when Henry, on 3, survived a caught and bowled chance off Saqib Mahmood in the 110th over with the visitors 302-8.
Overton fell lbw to Williams for 35 but Henry – on his Somerset debut – cashed in, hitting three sixes in one Hartley over, on his way to a belligerent 39-ball fifty before Somerset were all out for 361, when Leach was superbly caught by a leaping Dane Vilas at deep mid-on off Williams for 9.
In the 28 overs left, Lancashire lost Wells for 1 to a superb catch by Henry off his own bowling, the Kiwi parrying the ball with his right hand and then grabbing the rebound while George Balderson was relieved to see an edge fly between wicketkeeper and first slip off Overton in a tricky opening period for the Red Rose top order.
Balderson and Bohannon survived that spell to prosper with a 67-run partnership until Bohannon was beaten just before the close by a sharply turning delivery from Leach after making 31.
Balderson (38 not out) and nightwatchman Williams (0 not out) will resume in the morning with Lancashire behind by 289 runs.
“It was nice to bowl them out and see us build a partnership, and for us it’s about backing up those partnerships to put a score on the board (tomorrow) and see where the game ends up,” said Daryl Mitchell.
The loss of James Anderson was clearly a big blow for Lancashire today and the New Zealand international added: “You’d love to have somebody of Jimmy’s class (out there), but I thought the way the boys stuck at it was good, on what is quite a nice batting surface.
“We built pressure for periods, and we got our rewards in little clumps, but we would have liked to have bowled them out for a bit less,” he said.
And Mitchell was pleased to have made an immediate impact today.
“It’s always nice when you start for the club, you want to put an impression on the fans,” he admitted.
“You want to contribute to the team, and it helps when you get a few cheeky poles in!” he grinned.
“It’s all part of your job to try and help the team win games of cricket. Whether it’s with bat or ball, or in the field, I guess you just try your best. Do it with a smile on your face, puff your chest out and see what the game brings you.”
It was pointed out to Daryl that there were a few Kiwis out on the pitch in this match. “We’re taking over!” he laughed. “It was awesome to be out there with Will Williams and obviously Matt Henry – although that was a massive six he hit up onto that balcony! It’s a bit weird playing against him because he’s my domestic team-mate as well. It’s all part of the wonders of playing all around the world.”
Looking ahead to the next couple of days, Mitchell added: “I think the wonderful thing about first-class cricket is that it can go down to the wire on the last day.
“For us we’ve got to control what we can control. Build partnerships and try and get as close as possible to their score.
“If we can get past it and put some pressure back on them, that’s exciting.
“But there’s a lot of cricket to be played in the next two days and for us it’s important not to look too far ahead, keep doing the job for the team and hopefully we are in a good position tomorrow.”
Ken Grime
Photos: Barry Mitchell and Luke Adams
