On This Day: High Scoring Somerset Draw

Hampshire Cricket's historian Dave Allen takes a look back on timely memorable moments in his ‘On This Day’ series.

High Scoring Championship Draw - Somerset v Hampshire, County Championship: 7th - 10th May 2008

Thursday 8th May was the mid-way point in Hampshire's 2008 County Championship match against Somerset at Taunton and until the last session on the second day, it seemed Hampshire’s for the taking.

On the previous day, deputy captain Jimmy Adams inserted Somerset and James Tomlinson justified that decision with a career-best 8-46 as Somerset were bundled out for 126 – a score they only reached thanks to an eighth wicket partnership of 50.

Overnight, Hampshire were 194-3 with Pietersen out for 100 and Crawley on his way to 104 the next day.

Hampshire were eventually bowled out for 359, a lead of 233, so even an opening partnership of 83, caused few alarms. But Trescothick and Langer then took the day two score to 159-1 and both reached big hundreds the next day, as Somerset batted throughout.

They closed on 559-5 and added almost another 100 runs the next day before declaring. Hampshire in their turn batted out at 198-1 with Michael Brown the game’s fifth centurion.

One curious statistic – only the 16th and final Somerset wicket was taken by a capped bowler, Sean Ervine. It was truly a game of two halves!