James Rew’s maiden double-century turns screw on Hampshire

Hampshire 58 for two path Somerset 500 (Rew 221, Aldridge 88, Bess 54, Abbott 4-56, Dawson 4-118) by 442 runs

At the age of simply 19 years and 181 days, Rew prolonged his in a single day rating of 77 to 221 earlier than being final man out in his aspect’s first-innings whole of 500, having walked to the crease on day one with the scoreboard studying 41 for 4. The younger left-hander’s memorable knock occupied seven hours and 42 minutes, 310 balls, and featured 23 fours and 4 sixes. His earlier 4 Championship centuries this summer time had already established him because the main run-maker within the competitors.

The day was all about wicketkeeper Rew, already an England participant at Under-19 and Lions ranges, from the second Somerset started an overcast morning on 196 for five. He required only one second of luck when, having added solely 9 to his in a single day rating, he was dropped at slip by James Vince off the bowling of Liam Dawson.

A traditional cover-driven 4 off Dawson introduced up Rew’s century off 184 balls and the rest of the innings featured what are quick turning into trademark traits of composure, persistence, sound approach and wise shot choice. There was additionally a plethora of sweetly timed strokes on each side of the pitch.

Aldridge, a fellow graduate of their county’s Academy, misplaced little as compared because the pair prolonged their stand to 188, a Somerset file for the sixth wicket in opposition to Hampshire. He had hit 13 fours and moved to inside 12 of a ton when Dawson discovered an edge with a ball that turned and wicketkeeper Ben Brown took the catch.

Bess, again with the membership the place he launched his profession, marked the primary innings of a short-term mortgage from Yorkshire by being constructive from the beginning, hitting seven fours and a six in partnership of 94 in 22 overs with Rew earlier than falling to a different catch behind off Dawson, who was extracting some assist from the dry pitch.

The left-arm spinner shortly cleaned up Alfie Ogbourne, making his first-class debut, and Jack Brooks on his solution to figures of 4 for 118. But if Hampshire thought their trials had been virtually over at 392 for 9, they had been proved cruelly mistaken by one other 19-year-old in Bashir, who marked solely his third Championship look by coolly settling in to strike three sixes and three fours in a 61-ball knock.

With Rew slicing unfastened on the different finish, the tenth-wicket stand occupied lower than 17 overs. The ball flew to and over a brief boundary in town aspect of the bottom with growing regularity earlier than an on-driven single took Rew to 200 off 297 balls, a second he greeted with an understated clenched fist salute.

His marathon show of focus ended when Vince, who had launched himself into the bowling assault for the primary time at 480 for 9, trapped him lbw trying to clear the ropes once more. Several Hampshire gamers provided handshakes because the fresh-faced hero of the hour left the sphere to a standing ovation.

It appeared the day couldn’t worsen for Hampshire. But after tea had been taken, Brooks penetrated Weatherley’s defence together with his first supply to knock again off stump. Fletcha Middleton and Nick Gubbins had responded aggressively with an unbroken stand of 39 when the rain that threatened for many of the day arrived to interrupt proceedings.

The resumption introduced one other first-ball drama, Middleton fending a steeply rising supply from Aldridge to 3rd slip and departing for twenty-four. The rain returned with seven runs added and one other restart at 5.45pm noticed 4.2 extra overs bowled earlier than a 3rd bathe and stumps.