Nottinghamshire v Somerset at Trent Bridge June 12-14th

Neil Whitaker reports

 SOUTH  African Jordan Herman hit 106, his first Championship  century on his Rothesay Championship debut for Somerset.

He said: “I think we are  actually in a good position.  But we’ll  take that after losing the toss.”

The 24 year-old South African brought up his century when smashed Dillon Pennington straight to the long off boundary for one off 10 fours in his century including a six.

He took a liking to Pennington because he reached his 50 when he glanced Pennington to the fine leg boundary. His 50 came  from 95 balls with five fours and a six. A couple of overs earlier Herman flamboyantly cut Lyndon James to the point boundary. 

Hermann glanced that man Pennington off his hips to the fine leg boundary to take him into double figures.  Later he smashed Pennington over extra cover for  a six.

The downside to his innings was when he ran James Rew in the most unfortunate manner when he smashed Pennington straight who deflected the ball on to the middle stump and ran James Rew out.  He added: “We can like that in a fortunate manner, but it is what it is.  I must take up more responsibility.”

Earlier Rew slashed Mohammed Ali and was lucky not to edge him to stumper Joe Clarke.

Fergus O’Neill and the rest of the Nottinghamshire side were convinced that Herman had edged him to stumper Clarke but umpire James Middlebrook was unmoved.  

He guided Pennington to the vacant third man boundary to take home into the 90’s. Herman’s knock was a patient one and it had to be after Somerset had lost three wickets for 47. But Somerset were rescued by a fourth wicket partnership in 41 overs between  Herman and Thomas Rew.

Thomas Rew, the younger of the two Rew brothers hit his first first 50 for Somerset in Championship cricket and shared in a fifth wicket partnership of 122 with the South  African Herman.

The pair came  together after Somerset had lost three wickets for 47 in 18 overs.  Rew is said by many experts in the West Country to be the better play off  the two but it’s the elder Rew who has been called up to play for England but realistically he will not play in either of the two Test’s against New Zealand.

He reached his first Championship 50, which came from 94 balls and included eight fours when he smashed Pennington to the point boundary. 

Thomas Rew drove O’Neill to the cover boundary.  In O’Neill’s next over Rew clobbered him to the cover boundary.  He  cut O’Neill with a tremendous force  to the cover boundary. Then he  pulled Lyndon James with disdain to the mid-wicket boundary. He hooked  Mohammed Ali for a one bounce four and drilled the slow left arm spinner Liam Patterson-White to the mid-wicket boundary. 

The partnership was broken when he tried to turn Mohammed Ali to leg but missed the ball and was plumb leg before to  become  Mohammed Ali’s first victim for Nottinghamshire. 

Herman was joined by Archie Vaughan,  the son of former England captain Michael.  It seemed hard to believe but Herman and  Vaughan added 65 in 24 overs.  The pair knocked the ball around and taking the single and hitting the very occasional boundary especially  when Vaughan creamed Pennington to the cover boundary.  Their partnership was broken when Herman was bowled by O’Neill with one that came back at him.

Herman said: “I  think both Thomas Rue and  Vaughan are incredible players in their own respects and I am  glad to help them out.”

Two overs later Somerset lost their second wicket to the new ball and to O’Neill when played down the wrong line to him and was leg before.

Nottinghamshire won the toss on an overcast morning and put Somerset in but just as the players were about to take the field; a brief shower delayed the start by six minutes.

Nottinghamshire should have had a wicket in the first over when JoshThomas edged O’Neill but the ball fell short off  Freddie McCann at  second slip. Nottinghamshire  and O’Neill did get a wicket in the third over when Thomas tried to play O’Neill to let but got an outside edge and Jack Haynes at third slip took a comfortable low catch.

Haynes got his second catch of the innings when Lewis Goldsworthy edged a drive off  Brett Hutton and Haynes at third slip took a catch diving to his left.

Somerset lost their captain Lewis Gregory when he was bowled by Pennington with one that came back at him and kept low.

With just over two overs left in the day Vaughan guided Pennington through the covers for a single to bring up his 50.

Day 2

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE’S Fergus  O’Neill did what a pace man  should do and mopped up the remaining three Somerset wickets to finish with six for 72, his fourth five wicket haul for Nottinghamshire in eight matches, his 10th in total and  his best bowling figures. 

Night  watchman Jack Leach lasted 12 minutes on the second morning without adding to his overnight score when he clipped O’Neill off his legs and found Lyndon James on  the square leg boundary who had to stretch to his right to take the catch. But he had done his job on the first night.

Migael Pretorius edged a drive off Mohammad Ali which fell short off Jack  Haynes at wide second slip. In the next over he was beaten by the pace off O’Neill losing his off stump.  Two balls later Alfie Ogborne pushed at O’Neill and was adjudged leg before leaving Archie Vaughan unbeaten on 66.

Just when he thought his work for the day was done, in the afternoon O’Neill shared in a seventh wicket partnership of 56 with  Haynes.  O’Neill is a member of the small breed who was born in New Zealand but now his cricket allegiances are with Australia after represented Australia A.

To show that he is no mug with the bat he  pulled Craig Overton to the square leg boundary to bring up Nottinghamshire’s 150.  An  eventual first over after tea saw a Nottinghamshire fifty partnership brought up, a fifty and a wicket.  Haynes cut the first  ball from Lewis Gregory to the cover boundary to bring  up the fifty partnership between Haynes and O’Neill.  Haynes cut the next ball for three to bring up his fifty.  Then O’Neill felt for a widish ball from Gregory and feathered it to James Rew.

Nottinghamshire captain Haseeb Hameed edged the fourth ball of the Nottinghamshire innings to Vaughan at third slip who had to move his hands to his left.

Gregory bowling around angled one in at Ben Slater which kept low and Slater was plumb leg before.

On 19, Freddie McCann top  edged a pull off Overton but the ball fell short off Pretorius at mid-on. McCann cut Overton to the third man boundary to bring up the fifty partnership with Joe Clarke from 99 balls.

Leach was introduced into the attack straight after lunch and looked the one likely to break the partnership between McCann and Clarke and he did when McCann pushed at him and feathered him  to stumper James Rew.

On 34  Clarke edged Gregory just past Jordan Hermann at first slip for a couple but he played on to the next ball with an underedge. James pushed forward at Leach and was hit on his back pad and after an eternity umpire Martin Saggers gave him out.

Leach got his third wicket of the innings when Liam Patterson-White played back to cut him but missed the ball and was bowled.

Hutton top edged a pull off Pretorius and Hermann took the catch running backwards at mid-wicket.  Dillon Pennington missed a drive off Overton and was given out leg before.  Haynes who top scored with 57 went down the pitch to Overton and pulled him but top edged it.  James Rew took a good catch with the ball swirling in the wind.

Gregory, who left the field with two balls of his 14th over remaining, took four wickets for 51 and Leach took three for 44.

The Somerset openers Hermann and JoshThomas didn’t look in any trouble until there were six overs to go when Thomas decided to cut  Patterson-White but the ball was too close to cut and he edged it to stumper Clarke.  After his heroics as night watchman on the first night Leach was replaced by Ogborne.

Somerset lost their second wicket when Hermann got a faint touch to a bouncer from Mohammad Ali and was given out caught behind.

Somerset head coach Jason Kerr said: “It’s been two really good days for us. We saw yesterday that the pitch had very little pace in it so we knew that it was going to be hard work and  we had to exploit it with the new ball. Today I thought Gregory was outstanding.  We got a couple of early Nottinghamshire wickets and then as a group we kept hunting them. We were unfortunate to lose a couple of wickets towards the end.”

Day 3

THOMAS Rew the younger of the two Rew brothers  hit his first Rothesay County Championship century in his second Championship match and was unbeaten on 127 when the declaration came and then he kept wicket at the start of Nottinghamshire’s second innings.

He shared in the three big partnerships that put Somerset in control of the match on the third day. A partnership of 71 with his elder brother James, a partnership of 69 with Archie Vaughan for the sixth wicket and a partnership of 67 with Jack Leach when they knew the declaration was coming.

Thomas  Rew hit consecutive fours off  Lyndon James: the first to the mid wicket boundary and the second was guided to the point boundary.  He went down the pitch to Liam Patterson-White and hoisted him over the mid-wicket boundary for a six.  He placed Patterson-White into  the covers for a single to bring up his fifty from 75 balls with five fours and a six.  

He said: “I loved every second of it and to bat some of the time with James was special. All the experienced players were helpful to me, guiding me all the way.  I love the length of time that you are allowed to play the ball, you are under no pressure to score. I soaked the pressure up really well.  I felt under pressure when I started my innings but I got a nice juicy ball which I put away for when I was in the 90’s. Leach was always talking to me and taking the pressure off me.

We are going to have to graft hard  to get the victory. Hopefully Leach will do the business.”

Rew reversed swept Patterson-White to the third man boundary and hoisted the next ball over the mid-wicket boundary for his second six and took him to his highest Championship score.

At the other end Vaughan edged Dillon Pennington wide off at Freddie McCann at  first slip to the third man boundary to bring up the fifty partnership with Rew off 122 balls.The partnership was broken when Vaughan went down the pitch to Patterson-White who turned the ball and bowled.  The partnership added 69 in 13 overs.

Rew reached his century when a misfield in the covers allowed him a single.  His hundred came from 135 balls with eight fours and three sixes.  He wasn’t done there for the sixes,  he pulled Hutton for another six over square leg. Earlier he brutally smashed Hutton over long-on for his third six and to take him into the 90’s. Then he dispatched Mohammed Ali for consecutive sixes over the mid-wicket boundary.

James Rew’s  shot of his innings was a drive off Patterson-White to the extra cover boundary to bring up the fifty partnership with his brother. It was one of his six fours in his fifty.  Two balls later he tickled James to Joe Clarke.

On eight Craig Overton pulled  Brett Hutton to James on the mid-wicket boundary but as he fell he dropped the ball. He added another 12 before he was leg before to Fergus O’Neill, trying to turn a straight ball to mid-wicket but missed the ball.

Nottinghamshire got the start they wanted on the third morning when Lewis Goldsworthy tentatively pushed at the first ball of the day from Hutton and  stumper Clarke took an easy catch. James Rew came in and joined night watchman Alfie Ogborne but it was Rew who struggled to get the ball away whereas Ogborne was more fluent but neither could get Hutton away who was making the ball talk on a slow pitch.  Nottinghamshire should have got a wicket when. Ogborne on 13 edged a drive off Pennington  but McCann at second  slip dropped the dolly.  

Eventually after 107 minutes and denying them for 76 balls, Nottinghamshire got rid of night watchman Alfie Ogborne when Mohammed Ali sent his off stump cartwheeling out of the ground.  In the morning session Somerset added 75 in 29 overs for the loss of two wickets taking their lead to 265. 

After tea it was announced that Lewis Gregory would take no further part in the match and will be replaced by former Nottinghamshire player Jake Ball.  Gregory left the field after bowling 13.4 overs and taking four wickets on the second day.  To rub salt into the Nottinghamshire wounds when he got a wicket in his first over. He squared Ben Slater up, took his outside edge and Jordan Hermann at first slip took the catch in his midriff.

Like  Ball, Craig Overton struck in his first over when McCann edged him to Thomas Rew keeping wicket and he took a low catch going to his left.  In the penultimate over of the  day night watchman Hutton missed a straight ball from Leach and was leg before.

Nottinghamshire deputy assistant coach Paul Franks said: “When you get two players in it can be hard and  they can take the game away from you which they did in the afternoon.  I thought Rew played the situation really well, he upped the tempo after those early stages and he showed a lot of maturity.”

Day 4

SOMERSET  beat Nottinghamshire by 306 runs at Trent Bridge with over 1 1/2sessions left on the final day.

It was Nottinghamshire’s first defeat in the Rothesay County Championship for 14 matches and their first defeat at Trent Bridge  since they lost to Hampshire in May 2024 and it was their second heaviest Championship defeat.

Doing the damage for Somerset was stand-in captain Craig Overton who took five for 29.  But it was former Nottinghamshire player Jake Ball who took the first wicket of the day after 10 minutes when he sent Joe   Clarke’s off stump cartwheeling out of the ground with an out swinger. 

Nottinghamshire captain Haseeb Hameed drove Overton to the long-off boundary but he was on his way back to the hutch when he clipped the next ball off his legs and Thomas Rew took a good tumbling catch down the legside.

Thomas Rew was in action again when he took a brilliant one handed catch diving to his right in front first slip to get rid of Lyndon James.

Migael Pretorius got his first wicket  of the second innings when Liam  Patterson-White played a loose shot without moving his feet and Overton at second took a good low catch for a tall man.  

What a match, Rew the younger had, after his first Championship century he took four catches behind the stumps.  He took his fourth  catch  when Pretorius kissed the shoulder of Jack Haynes’ bat and Rew took a comfortable catch.

In the last over of an extended morning session Dillon Pennington, on seven, edged Jack Leach but Overton at slip put the chance down.  After a streaky four to the fine leg Pennington elegantly drove the next ball to the cover boundary.  Adding 48 for the ninth wicket, Pennington drove Overton to Lewis Goldsworthy at point who took a low catch.

Fergus O’Neill, who took six wickets in the first innings signed off with an unbeaten 54 in his last knock of the Championship.  He pulled Ball to the fine leg boundary to bring up his 50 from 94 balls with nine fours.  His third Championship fifty for Nottinghamshire.

The match was over when Overton dug one at Mohammed Ali who pulled  and Alfie Ogburn to the catch running round from leg slip to take the catch.

Nottinghamshire Head Coach Peter Moores said: “As the Head coach I am disappointed about the way we approached the game in the first two days.  We are a good side and we pride ourselves on doing the hard work.  On the third day we started to play the way we can but by then Somerset were  too far ahead in the game.”

Overton said: “It’s a very good result for us, we know that they don’t lose many matches here and they showed a lot of character today but we’ve got the belief that we can beat anybody and we showed that today.  I still think that Nottinghamshire are a good team and if they can get on a roll they can win the Championship again, one bad result isn’t the be all and end all.

We think that there's an experience in the side that when we lose an early wicket there will always be someone who comes in and gets runs then  we can get out of any situation.  In the first innings we thought if we could get 250 that would be a good score.

I think Thomas Rew has been phenomenal in this match but we thought that his first innings runs were more important than the second.”

SCORECARD