15-07-2022, 07:27
Jack Morley’s five-star performance – and first-class best of 5-69 – led a great Lancashire effort to force a result on a tense final day at Trafalgar Road.
But Somerset held on for their first draw of the season in this entertaining LV=Insurance County Championship Division One clash.
Keaton Jennings’ gargantuan knock of 318 allowed Dane Vilas to declare overnight on 624-9 with Somerset knowing they would have to first reach and then bat beyond Lancashire’s lead of 178 if they were to save the game.
Despite some nervy moments, especially facing Morley, the West Country outfit survived to reach 213-7 when with seven overs left and the clock ticking around to 5.40pm, the players shook hands on the draw.
The result gave Lancashire 15 points and Somerset 11.
Earlier in the day neither Tom Bailey or Will Williams were able to make the breakthrough with the new ball, forcing Vilas to turn quickly to Morley and was rewarded when Matt Renshaw departed caught and bowled for 12 after driving straight back to the bowler.
Morley struck again four overs later with Rob Jones taking a sharp catch at leg slip to dismiss Steven Davies for 11 to leave Somerset 32-2 and Lancashire beginning to sniff victory.
Bowling from the Harrod Drive end, Morley found turn and bounce on the worn pitch and George Bartlett was the next to go as he stepped across his stumps and was trapped in front for four to leave the score 74-3 at lunch.
Tom Lammonby had provided some resistance before he became Morley’s fourth wicket early after lunch when he gloved an attempted reverse sweep to Keaton Jennings at short leg.
Youngsters Lewis Goldsworthy and James Rew dropped anchor for the rest of the afternoon to see off the continued threat of Morley and the part time spin of Luke Wells and Steven Croft.
But at each point the game looked up for Lancashire they were able to strike doubt into the visitor’s with Morley’s fifth wicket straight after tea renewing Red Rose hopes when 18 year-old Rew was caught at short leg by Jennings for 23 from 111 balls.
The fifth wicket pair had put on 80 runs but any thoughts that the game was safe ended with the dismissal of Lewis Gregory who drove straight to Josh Bohannon at cover for 25 to leave the score 189-6 and Somerset with a slender lead of 11 runs.
Roelof van der Merwe’s departure in the last hour fending off Luke Wood to Jennings for 12 had departing spectators scurrying back to their seats.
But 21 year-old Goldsworthy held out, finishing unbeaten on 73 off 213 balls alongside skipper Peter Siddle (4 not out) to the close.
"I'm not fussed who gets the wickets but obviously it was my day today” said a smiling Jack Morley at the close.
"I feel good and it's been coming out nice in training and hopefully I can continue to keep taking wickets.”
"I've played here quite a bit in the past and bowled from both ends but it was in my favour to bowl from the Harrod Drive end because of the rough there was.
"It was a great pitch to be fair and a very good batting pitch but the lads really gave it their all out there.”
"We said in the morning 'let's work as hard as we can and put everything into it' and I think the boys did and it's been a really good game and a positive one for us moving forward."
“I thought we played really well,” was Head Coach Glen Chapple’s reaction.
“There’s always things you can look at – if we had bowled them out for 370ish in the first innings it would have given us a better chance to get a bigger lead and more time to bowl them out.
“But it was a fairly placid pitch this year. A good wicket but it was tricky to force a result.
“The way we batted and accelerated the scoring to give us a chance was superb. We’ve got to be pleased with that, and with Jack taking a five-for. It’s not as if they were easy wickets, he bowled really well.
“The team are disappointed because they worked so hard and got close.
“But performance-wise we are satisfied.”
But Somerset held on for their first draw of the season in this entertaining LV=Insurance County Championship Division One clash.
Keaton Jennings’ gargantuan knock of 318 allowed Dane Vilas to declare overnight on 624-9 with Somerset knowing they would have to first reach and then bat beyond Lancashire’s lead of 178 if they were to save the game.
Despite some nervy moments, especially facing Morley, the West Country outfit survived to reach 213-7 when with seven overs left and the clock ticking around to 5.40pm, the players shook hands on the draw.
The result gave Lancashire 15 points and Somerset 11.
Earlier in the day neither Tom Bailey or Will Williams were able to make the breakthrough with the new ball, forcing Vilas to turn quickly to Morley and was rewarded when Matt Renshaw departed caught and bowled for 12 after driving straight back to the bowler.
Morley struck again four overs later with Rob Jones taking a sharp catch at leg slip to dismiss Steven Davies for 11 to leave Somerset 32-2 and Lancashire beginning to sniff victory.
Bowling from the Harrod Drive end, Morley found turn and bounce on the worn pitch and George Bartlett was the next to go as he stepped across his stumps and was trapped in front for four to leave the score 74-3 at lunch.
Tom Lammonby had provided some resistance before he became Morley’s fourth wicket early after lunch when he gloved an attempted reverse sweep to Keaton Jennings at short leg.
Youngsters Lewis Goldsworthy and James Rew dropped anchor for the rest of the afternoon to see off the continued threat of Morley and the part time spin of Luke Wells and Steven Croft.
But at each point the game looked up for Lancashire they were able to strike doubt into the visitor’s with Morley’s fifth wicket straight after tea renewing Red Rose hopes when 18 year-old Rew was caught at short leg by Jennings for 23 from 111 balls.
The fifth wicket pair had put on 80 runs but any thoughts that the game was safe ended with the dismissal of Lewis Gregory who drove straight to Josh Bohannon at cover for 25 to leave the score 189-6 and Somerset with a slender lead of 11 runs.
Roelof van der Merwe’s departure in the last hour fending off Luke Wood to Jennings for 12 had departing spectators scurrying back to their seats.
But 21 year-old Goldsworthy held out, finishing unbeaten on 73 off 213 balls alongside skipper Peter Siddle (4 not out) to the close.
"I'm not fussed who gets the wickets but obviously it was my day today” said a smiling Jack Morley at the close.
"I feel good and it's been coming out nice in training and hopefully I can continue to keep taking wickets.”
"I've played here quite a bit in the past and bowled from both ends but it was in my favour to bowl from the Harrod Drive end because of the rough there was.
"It was a great pitch to be fair and a very good batting pitch but the lads really gave it their all out there.”
"We said in the morning 'let's work as hard as we can and put everything into it' and I think the boys did and it's been a really good game and a positive one for us moving forward."
“I thought we played really well,” was Head Coach Glen Chapple’s reaction.
“There’s always things you can look at – if we had bowled them out for 370ish in the first innings it would have given us a better chance to get a bigger lead and more time to bowl them out.
“But it was a fairly placid pitch this year. A good wicket but it was tricky to force a result.
“The way we batted and accelerated the scoring to give us a chance was superb. We’ve got to be pleased with that, and with Jack taking a five-for. It’s not as if they were easy wickets, he bowled really well.
“The team are disappointed because they worked so hard and got close.
“But performance-wise we are satisfied.”
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