RESULT
(D/N), Southampton, June 26 - 29, 2017, Specsavers County Championship Division One
211/9d & 96/5d
(T:161) 147 & 88/8

Match drawn

Report

Gregory keeps Hampshire's ambitions in check

Somerset fast bowler Lewis Gregory took three wickets as the visitors enjoyed the better of the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship clash with Hampshire

Somerset 18 for 0 (Trescothick 10*, Byrom 1*) trail Hampshire 211 for 9 dec (Dawson 53, Gregory 3-51) by 193 runs
Scorecard
Somerset fast bowler Lewis Gregory took three wickets as the visitors enjoyed the better of the opening day of their day-night Specsavers County Championship clash with Hampshire.
Gregory along with his fellow attack bowlers Craig Overton, Tim Groenewald and Jack Leach, who celebrated two wickets a piece, seemed to enjoy bowling with the pink ball - which failed to offer any great assistance for much of the day.
The quartet battled through a seemingly flat track, which seemed to grow livelier in the evening and night sessions, to give the bowlers the advantage.
Only a promising partnership between Liam Dawson and Jimmy Adams, and James Vince's 47, handed the hosts any positives during the maiden day of day-night Championship cricket.
Hampshire eventually declared on a modest 211 for 9 before bowling six overs at Somerset - who reached 18 without loss.
Hampshire won the toss and elected to bat in the warm afternoon sun, with a wicket appearing primed for high-scoring batting.
Adams and Dawson made that early pitch prediction seem correct as they blustered through the opening exchanges. The pair, who scored ten of the day's 19 boundaries between them, looked comfortable with driving through the covers a common sight.
They reached 74 for lunch, with just Adams dropped at first slip by James Hildreth off Leach the only blip of the session. After the tea interval, Somerset turned the screw to gain control of the game.
Overton, who missed out on making his England debut in the T20 series against South Africa, was the first to eke life out of a flat wicket.
The fast bowler broke the 84-run partnership between Adams and Dawson in the fourth over after lunch, when he had the former caught at first slip by Hildreth.
While the ball to get that wicket had jagged away slightly, the delivery to see off Rilee Rossouw was a standard short delivery.
The out-of-form South African top-edged before Steven Davies pulled off a wonderful diving catch to hold the steepling chance - Rossouw has now scored five ducks in his last eight Specsavers County Championship innings.
Dawson, who returned after his stint in the England team, appeared in complete control as he was promoted up the order to open - with the out-of-form Michael Carberry dropped.
He patiently reached a 132-ball half-century before Gregory got one to keep low and move in to see the England international lbw.
Captain George Bailey soon followed when he clipped a Groenewald delivery off his legs to Overton at midwicket - who struggled to keep out of the action in the session.
The Australian's wicket saw Hampshire fall from 84 without loss to 132 for four and after supper the collapse would continue.
Sean Ervine got tempted into a late cut to Leach and feathered behind before James Vince reached a sluggish yet classy 47 before attempting to tickle the spinner around the corner, but only found the gloves of Davies.
Groenewald took his second wicket when he cut Ian Holland in two with a sharp inducker.
Hampshire appeared in danger of missing out on a batting point entirely when Gregory had Gareth Berg leg before and Lewis McManus bowled - with the score on 198 and 199.
But a hoick into the leg side from Kyle Abbott secured a point before Bailey decided to declare and have a short burst at the Somerset batting.
But Marcus Trescothick and Zimbabwean debutant Edward Byrom saw out the remaining overs under the floodlights.

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