Tom Abell and James Rew proved the scourge of Nottinghamshire’s bowlers again as Somerset posted 292-6 on the first day of the opening County Championship Division One match of the season at Taunton.
The pair produced a fourth-wicket partnership of 140 to guide their team from an uncomfortable 66-3 after losing the toss, Abell contributing 108 off 186 balls and Rew 64 from 139 deliveries in mainly overcast conditions.
It was deja vu for the Notts attack. In two Championship meetings between the clubs last season, the two Somerset players amassed 589 runs between them, including a stand of 313 in the game at Trent Bridge.
There were two wickets each for Olly Stone and left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White, but it was a largely frustrating day for the visiting seamers in a blustery wind.
The season began with Stone bowling to Josh Thomas in what appeared favourable bowling conditions. That impression proved accurate as Somerset quickly plunged to 14-2.
Stone and Dillon Pennington soon hit a probing line and length. It was Stone who made the first breakthrough, bowling Tom Kohler-Cadmore for four with a delivery that nipped away off the seam.
Tom Lammonby had made only three when caught behind pushing forward defensively to Pennington. By 12:45 BST the floodlights were on and Somerset looked to be suffering all too familiar top order batting frailty.
Much could depend on Thomas if that problem is to be solved this season. The 21-year-old left-hander, making only his third first class appearance, batted with increasing confidence in a stand of 52 with Rew.
Stone and Pennington conceded just ten runs each from six-over opening spells. But it was the introduction of Patterson-White that brought the next Nottinghamshire success as Thomas, on 40, edged a forward defensive shot to wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne, having faced 84 balls and hit seven fours.
Rew and Abell took the score to 78-3 off 30 overs at lunch, Rew having produced the shot of the morning with an exquisite extra cover drive for four off Pennington, one of several attractive off-side strokes, in moving to 28 by the interval.
The pair blossomed in the afternoon session, Rew reaching a half-century off 112 balls, with four fours, and Abell producing several sweetly-timed leg-side shots to attain the same landmark off 92 deliveries, with seven boundaries, the last taking the partnership to the century mark.
It was broken on the brink of tea when Rew went to sweep a ball from Patterson-White. An under-edge onto his boot saw the ball loop up for Verreynne to dive forward from behind the stumps and hold a two-handed catch.
Two runs were added to take the total to 208-4 at the break, Abell unbeaten on 80. The final session saw him move into the nineties with a straight six off Patterson-White before Somerset lost their fifth wicket, Lewis Goldsworthy, who had looked solid in moving to 18, edging a back-foot defensive shot off Rob Lord through to Verreynne.
With the total on 245, that brought in Craig Overton, leading the home side in the absence of injured club captain Lewis Gregory. He brought up 250 by lofting Patterson-White to wide long-on for four.
Abell went to his 21st first class hundred with a single through point off the spinner, having faced 173 balls and hit nine fours and two sixes. It was a typically textbook innings from the 32-year-old, without giving a chance.
Notts took the second new ball with the total 264-5. The first over with it saw Overton dropped on 14 at third slip by the diving Jack Haynes off Pennington, but it later accounted for Abell, Verreynne taking a fourth catch of the innings off Stone, before rain ended play seven overs early, Overton unbeaten on 32.
Report by ECB Reporters’ Network.
