RESULT
Taunton, April 27 - 30, 2010, County Championship Division One
387 & 100/0d

Match drawn

Report

Honours even after Godleman hundred

Billy Godleman hit a century for Essex on an absorbing second day of their County Championship match against Somerset at Taunton.

28-Apr-2010
Essex 262 for 5 v Somerset 387
Scorecard
Billy Godleman hit a century for Essex on an absorbing second day of their County Championship match against Somerset at Taunton. The former Middlesex batsman made 106, including 12 fours and three sixes, as his side reached 262 for 5 by the close in reply to Somerset's 387.
Leg-spinner Michael Munday claimed three for 100 to put a break on the visitors' progress after Alastair Cook had contributed 41 to an opening stand of 89. Earlier, Peter Trego finished unbeaten on 71 as Somerset added 59 to their overnight total of 328 for 7, sharing a last-wicket stand of 39 with Charl Willoughby.
Their partnership ended in unfortunate fashion when Trego drove back a ball from Tim Phillips, who deflected it on to the stumps with Willoughby out of his ground. David Masters had claimed the previous wicket of Munday to finish with 4 for 83. Trego's innings occupied 87 balls and featured 11 fours and two sixes, another example of the talent which saw him selected in England's provisional squad for the World Twenty20.
The Essex reply was launched in confident fashion by Cook and Godleman, whose highest first-class score of 113 was achieved for Middlesex on the same ground in 2007. They took the score to 61 without loss at lunch, Godleman having survived a difficult chance to Arul Suppiah at midwicket off Munday.
Damien Wright produced a tight spell from the Old Pavilion End after the interval and made the breakthrough when Cook edged to Marcus Trescothick at first slip. The England opener had faced 64 balls and hit seven fours.
John Maunders, dropped on four by Zander de Bruyn diving to his left at mid-on off Suppiah, then helped Godleman take the total to 156 in the 46th over before somehow contriving to smash a Munday long hop straight to midwicket.
Maunders had made 22 and departed swishing his bat in annoyance at a major error. The next ball from Munday saw Trescothick spill a straightforward catch at second slip offered by Jaik Mickleburgh.
Godleman's 50 had seen him face 84 deliveries and he became increasingly assured as the afternoon progressed, using his feet well to the spinners and hitting Munday for two sixes and Suppiah for one.
It was 163 for 2 at tea and the 200 had just been brought up when Mickleburgh was taken by Trescothick off Munday playing a similar shot to the one that nearly got him out first ball. Godleman then became the second batsman to perish to a Munday long hop. The ball failed to bounce and he was bowled swinging to leg with the score on 203, having faced 196 deliveries.