Tom Banton’s 92 helps Somerset overcome Worcestershire wobble

Worcestershire 14 for 0 trail Somerset 309 for 9 declared (Banton 92, Holder 3-72) by 295 runs

Tom Banton continued his bright start to the season to hold the Somerset innings together after West Indies allrounder Jason Holder had threatened to put Worcestershire in a position of strength on day one of the Vitality County Championship encounter at Kidderminster.

Holder, available for the first five Championship matches, produced another devastating spell with the ball as he found the ideal length and backed up the excellent bowling throughout the day of Joe Leach and Matthew Waite.

He had dismissed Durham’s David Bedingham, Graham Clark and Paul Coughlin in quick succession on the opening day of last week’s fixture at Chester Road, and repeated that success by sending back Andy Umeed, James Rew and Lewis Gregory in the space of 12 deliveries immediately before tea to reduce Somerset to 181 for 6.

But Banton ensured there was no complete collapse by the visitors and produced a series of glorious strokes and brutal hitting in making 92 from 140 balls. He had managed only 46 runs from his first four Championship innings of the summer but found his touch with 83 against Nottinghamshire at Taunton last week.

His knock, plus some late order big hitting by Migael Pretorius, enabled Somerset to recover and claim two batting points before declaring late in the day. Jake Libby and night-watchman Adam Finch safely negotiated five overs.

Worcestershire rested leading wicket-taker Nathan Smith, who had played in the opening three games, and handed a first start of the season to left armer, Ben Gibbon. Kashif Ali, who scored two centuries against Warwickshire at Edgbaston in the opening game, returned after recovering from a back problem in place of spinner Josh Baker.

Somerset rested Craig Overton and there was a return to the side for Kasey Aldridge, their leading wicket-taker with 10 at 14 runs apiece, and a first start of the campaign for Andrew Umeed. Worcestershire captain, Brett D’Oliveira, won his first toss of the campaign and put the visitors into bat on a wicket with a bit more grass than last week’s game versus Durham.

It was a move that should have paid dividends in the first over during an impressive spell from Joe Leach but first slip Adam Hose put down Sean Dickson before he had scored. It did not prove a costly miss as Dickson fell lbw for 16 in Waite’s first over. Dickson took a stride forward and aimed a stroke to leg but he was undone by a delivery which straightened on him.

Matt Renshaw was initially given a searching examination by Matthew Waite but gradually opened up with two boundaries off the former Yorkshire player. But the return of Gibbon led to a second breakthrough as Renshaw (30) was squared up by a testing delivery and Adam Hose held onto a low chance at first slip.

Leach returned to the attack after lunch and picked up some tangible rewards for his earlier efforts as Tom Lammonby drove hard and perished to a sharp catch by Holder at second slip. New batter Banton was beaten twice in an over from Waite as Worcestershire searched for further success.

It was Holder who struck just before tea when Umeed, having battled away for two-and-a-half hours for 47, pushed forward and keeper Gareth Roderick did the rest. It left Umeed three runs short of registering his first first-class half century for Somerset.

Rew (3) then nibbled at a Holder delivery and provided Roderick with another catch and it became three wickets in 12 balls for the allrounder when Gregory played back and was lbw. Worcestershire tried to press home the advantage after tea and there was a second deserved wicket for Waite as Aldridge (9) went lbw to a delivery angled in.

But Banton continued to play with aggression and freedom and a four to third man enabled him to complete a 91-ball half-century. Pretorius decided ultra aggression was the best policy and raced to 49 off 34 balls before the new ball denied him a half century, the safe hands of Holder low down at slip accounting for an edge off Leach.

Banton looked set for a century but on 92 he pushed Gibbon to mid-off and failed to beat D’Oliveira’s direct hit to the non striker’s end.