Somerset in dominant position after day one against Glamorgan

Somerset’s slip fielders shared seven catches as Glamorgan were bowled out for 194 on a one-sided opening day of the Rothesay County Championship First Division match at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton, writes Richard Latham, ECB Reporters' Network supported by Rothesay.

Henry Nicholls and Tom Abell claimed three each and Craig Overton one as all the Welsh county’s wickets fell to catches behind the stumps.

Wicketkeeper James Rew also pouched three to reward seamers Migael Pretorius (three for 45), Lewis Gregory (two for 58), Overton (two for 63) and Tom Lammonby (two for 27).

Ben Kellaway top-scored with 51 after Glamorgan had been invited to bat first in overcast conditions on a green-tinged pitch offering good carry and just sufficient seam movement for the pace bowlers, who also benefited from some swing.

By the close, Somerset had replied with 92 for no wicket on a day which suggested they are well capable of clinching a first ever Championship title in what is building towards a thrilling finale to the red-ball season.

Josh Thomas was unbeaten on 46 and Tom Lammonby 37 not out, having batted with an assurance that, Kellaway apart, was absent from the Glamorgan innings.

The visitors looked to be making a good fist of things after the start of play had been delayed for half an hour by rain.

Mason Crane and Asa Tribe took the score to 33 in the eighth over before the latter edged Pretorius through to Rew, who took an excellent low catch diving to his right.

It was 45 for two when Kiran Carlson presented a waist-high catch to first slip Nicholls off Pretorius and 49 for three when second slip Abell accepted a chance offered by Crane on 27, with Overton the successful bowler.

A brief shower interrupted play at 68 for three, but when the action resumed there was still time before lunch for Colin Ingram to edge Gregory to Abell and leave Glamorgan 80 for four going into the afternoon session.

Kellaway produced some sweetly-timed drives to move to a half-century off 81 balls.

But the following delivery from Pretorius saw him edge to Nicholls and soon it was 125 for six as former Somerset player Sean Dickson, celebrating his 35th birthday, was snared in the slips by Overton driving at a wide ball from Gregory.

Further edges brought the downfalls of Chris Cooke, Dan Douthwaite and Connor O’Riordan before Timm van der Gugten pulled a defiant six off Pretorius and shared a last-wicket stand of 36 with Mir Hamza, who was last man out to Jack Leach, the only wicket to fall to spin.

Tea was taken immediately, but further rain delayed a restart, with nine overs added to the four lost in the morning session.

Conditions remained bowler-friendly, with the floodlights on, for the beginning of Somerset’s reply.

But, after a watchful start, openers Thomas and Lammonby soon increased the tempo, Thomas smiting three successive fours off Hamza in the sixth over.

The two left-handers brought up a half-century stand in 11.1 overs, looking in total control.

Lammonby, on 19, edged van der Gugten just short of first slip, but it was a rare moment of anxiety as Glamorgan’s bowlers struggled to match the home attack’s penetration.

As the sun broke through for the first time, batting looked easier than it had done all day.

By stumps, Thomas and Lammonby had shared 12 boundaries and put their side in an immensely strong position on a day when title rivals were inhibited by the weather.