Somerset battle their way to draw as both batters dig in for half-centuries
Tom Lammonby ensured Somerset would bat out for a draw • Getty Images
Somerset 309 for 9 dec (Banton 92, Holder 3-72) and 190 for 4 (Lammomby 81*, Umeed 60) drew with Worcestershire 451 for 9 dec (Roderick 122, Libby 97, Ball 3-72)
Tom Lammonby continued his excellent start to the season and played a major role in Somerset earning a hard-fought draw against newly promoted Worcestershire at Kidderminster.
Lammonby dug in to score his third half-century of the season in addition to his hundred against champions Surrey. His unbeaten 81 lifted his run tally for the campaign past the 350 mark and he received excellent support from Andrew Umeed during a decisive fourth-wicket partnership.
When the duo joined forces, Somerset were still 76 runs in arrears at 66 for 3 but they effectively blunted the attack and batted throughout the afternoon session in adding 117 in 39 overs.
Lammonby enjoys facing Worcestershire and in 2020 during Covid became Somerset’s youngest player at the age of 20 to carry his bat through an innings in a crucial four-day Bob Willis Trophy game at New Road
His efforts here helped seal a fourth successive draw for Somerset and a third in four games for Worcestershire – plus a defeat against Durham – since gaining promotion.
Worcestershire now have a week’s break from action before facing Kent at Canterbury but they can take heart from their early season performances. They were in the ascendancy in rain-affected games against Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire and gave another good account of themselves in this fixture in accruing another 15 points.
Somerset will also take encouragement from their resilience and application in battling away throughout the final day.
They resumed on 5 for 1 after Jason Holder had removed opener Sean Dickson on Sunday evening. Holder could have struck again first thing this morning but Matt Renshaw survived a chance to second slip before he had scored.
Nightwatcher Jake Ball proved a frustration to Worcestershire during the opening hour and also did the bulk of the scoring. He edged Holder wide of third slip for four but produced a more convincing cover drive to the boundary off the same bowler.
Renshaw was content to blunt the attack and the second-wicket pair added 39 before Adam Finch made the breakthrough. Ball did not move to his feet to a delivery which jagged back in and was bowled.
Club captain Brett D’Oliveira brought himself into the attack shortly before lunch and accounted for Renshaw. The Australian had battled away for 77 balls in making 12 but then attempted to sweep the legspinner and popped up a simple catch to Kashif Ali at short leg.
At that juncture, Somerset were still 76 runs in arrears but Lammonby and Umeed ensure there was no clatter of wickets.
The emphasis was almost entirely on defence with just the occasional boundary to keep the scoring rate at around two an over. But their efforts slowly but surely thwarted Worcestershire’s hopes of victory.
Lammonby completed a solid half century from 126 balls and an afternoon session produced 73 runs from 28 overs and no breakthroughs for the home side. Umeed brought up his 50 – from 117 deliveries – at the start of the final session but then perished to a fine return one-handed reflex catch by Ben Gibbon.
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