FIVE wickets in the final hour of play put Yorkshire firmly back in control of their County Championship clash with Somerset at Taunton. And the visitors’ hopes of grabbing a first four-day win in more than a year were boosted by a first innings lead that is likely to be the right side of a hundred.
At 5.30pm, Somerset were 277 for four and on course to match or pass the Tykes total of 438, with Marcus Trescothick in outstanding form and England prospect Craig Kieswetter looking good, but one side crumbled late on and this time it wasn’t Yorkshire.
Kieswetter frustrated Martyn Moxon’s side in their defeat to Somerset earlier this month, but it was his dismissal that signalled a mass implosion when Ajmal Shahzad exploded into life with a reverse swing that ripped back through the gate and onto middle and leg stump.
Yorkshire had taken two wickets for ten runs when Peter Trego was trapped by Hoggard lbw by a straight delivery that kept low and when Alfonso Thomas edged the same man behind, Jonathan Bairstow took a great diving catch to his right-hand side.
Loud cheers from the field turned to delirium with the dismissal of Trescothick after the former England opener was finally removed for 146 by youngster James Lee from a tired chip straight back to the bowler after nearly five hours at the crease.
Somerset were rattled at 315 for eight, but there was still time for Matthew Hoggard to round off a terrific day with bat and ball when he cannoned an inswinging delivery into Andy Caddick’s off stump to pick up his fourth wicket of the day.
Earlier, Hoggard helped Ajmal Shahzad take the Yorkshire total past 400 to ensure maximum batting points with three well-placed fours on his way to a crucial score of 26.
Jacques Rudolph started the day as the highest run scorer in domestic first class cricket, but he almost finished in second thanks to a stunning Trescothick solo display.
Trescothick’s biggest problem proved to be finding anyone to bat with as time and time again the host’s top and middle order got themselves out having played themselves in. He produced 24 fours and one crushing six straight back over Azim Rafeeq’s head in his innings that puts him ten runs behind Rudolph at the top of the first class charts, but rash decision-making by his team-mates eventually came back to haunt the host’s when Yorkshire’s attack came to life late on.
At stumps on day two, Somerset are 326 for nine and trail by 112.
Scoreboard
Somerset v Yorkshire At Taunton
Overnight: Yorkshire 375-7 (J A Rudolph 191).
Yorkshire First Innings
A Shahzad not out .............................27
M J Hoggard c Thomas b Stiff ..............26
S A Patterson c Kieswetter b Stiff .......... 8
J E Lee c Trescothick b Stiff .................. 2
Extras (b13 lb11 w8 nb8 pens 0) 40
Total (112 overs)..................438
Fall: 1-24 2-104 3-222 4-267 5-338 6-370 7-375 8-409 9-436
Bowling: Willoughby 23-3-78-1. Thomas 24-3-65-3. Caddick 20-2-94-0. Stiff 19-2-92- 4. Trego 13-4-30-1. Suppiah 8-4-28-0. de Bruyn 5-1-27-1.
Somerset First Innings Close
M E Trescothick c & b Lee .................146 A V Suppiah c Sayers b Hoggard .........17
J L Langer lbw b Patterson ................... 4
J C Hildreth b Shahzad .......................51
Z de Bruyn c Gale b Lee .......................31
C Kieswetter b Shahzad .....................28
P D Trego lbw b Hoggard ..................... 7
A C Thomas c Bairstow b Hoggard .......13
D A Stiff not out ...................... 6
A R Caddick b Hoggard ...................... 1
C M Willoughby not out ...................... 6 Extras (lb15 w1 pens 0)...............16
Total 9 wkts (78 overs)........326
Fall: 1-51 2-64 3-144 4-215 5-277 6-287 7-313 8-315 9-316.
Bonus Pts: Somerset 3 Yorkshire 5 Bowling: Hoggard 19-2-82-4. Shahzad 19- 2-57-2. Patterson 14-2-55-1. Lee 13-1-63-2.
Rafiq 13-0-54-0.
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