[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

County Championship, Division One

vs Somerset

Day One

Morning: After winning the contested toss, the Pears made the surprising move of granting Somerset's wish and putting the visitors in to bat on a proper July scorcher of a day. In a situation almost identical to the fixture in Taunton back in April, the decision seemed justified by the early removal of both openers, but as Azhar Ali and James Hildreth steadied the ship and reached lunch with no further loss, it ultimately felt like Somerset's session.

Afternoon: The afternoon mirrored the morning, with two early wickets depriving Somerset of both set batsmen, only for the momentum to ebb slowly away from Worcestershire again. When Tom Abell was dropped on the boundary off the bowling of Moeen Ali it felt like a decisive moment, and again, the visitors made it to the break without further incident.

Evening: The dubious decision to insert Somerset finally paid off in the last session, but it was a bittersweet triumph. A minor collapse took the visitors from 241-4 to 266-7 with Moeen the danger man, but just as hopes grew of bowling the visitors out for less than 300, a frustrating eighth-wicket partnership between the Overton twins carried Somerset comfortably above that total. Both were dismissed near the day's end, leaving the score at 324-9 at close, but it's absolutely crucial that Worcestershire strike early tomorrow and keep the total below 350 on a pitch showing signs of formidable turn for Jack Leach to capitalise on.