Somerset’s surge threatens to throw title race open

Somerset 107 for 1 (Rogers 58*) trail Yorkshire 145 (Bresnan 38*, Allenby 3-16, Overton 3-38) by 38 runsScorecard

What price Somerset for their first Championship? Their rush through the division has been a sideshow at best as Middlesex and Yorkshire have flexed muscles like a couple of rival bodybuilders ahead of their clash at Lord’s next week. It looks a whole lot different now.

Somerset started the penultimate round of matches 18 behind Yorkshire with the leaders Middlesex a further point ahead, but they suddenly have the potential to throw calculations into disarray after dismissing Yorkshire for 145 at Headingley and settling their own innings in reply, losing only Tom Abell for a second-ball nought before Marcus Trescothick and Chris Rogers cut the deficit to 38 runs at stumps.

There is cause for satisfaction in the West Country. Somerset’s pace attack swung the ball on a clammy day, there was a bit more in the pitch than might have been expected – both sides would have batted on it – and Craig Overton and Jim Allenby prospered with three wickets each.

Yorkshire exacerbated their problems with some ill-judged strokes. Gary Ballance, Jake Lehmann and Andrew Gale, among the top six, should all be disappointed by the manner of their dismissal.

As a bonus, Somerset would love to see Middlesex’s match at Old Trafford develop into a stalemate and, with draw points suiting Lancashire’s attempts to retain their first division status, …

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