Trescothick's Somerset milestone wards off Warks

Warwickshire 413 (Trott 175, Ambrose 63, Clarke 57) drew with Somerset 230 (Trescothick 106, Trego 52, Thornton 4-34) and 86 for 1
Scorecard

There is a rumour in Taunton that when Marcus Trescothick first visited the county ground, the Quantocks hadn't been formed and the tower of St James' church hadn't been built: they were still waiting for the birth of Jesus and the formation of Christianity.

While that is probably a slight exaggeration, it is certainty true that Trescothick has become as much a fixture at this old ground as the hills and towers that border it. Since his first-class debut, back in 1993 - the year there was a false start in the Grand National and the Princess of Wales denied any intention of divorcing Prince Charles - this ground has altered almost beyond recognition: the Colin Atkinson Pavilion remains, but the Botham and Somerset stands, and the Somerset, Caddick and Ondaatje pavilions (they like a pavilion round here) have all been added and the place has been transformed from something of a sleepy backwater to a thriving club that produces high-quality players and packs them in for T20 matches. And he now plays at a ground with a stand bearing his name.

He is also now the only man in Somerset's history to record 50 first-class centuries for the club. He equalled Harold Gimblett's record of 49 against Nottinghamshire in July 2016 and passed it here to help his side to a battling draw. His status as a club legend is absolutely assured.

He does not remain through sentiment, either. As he showed, he continues to justify his place in the side as a fine batsman and the most-prized wicket for the opposition. Without him, Somerset might well have subsided to an innings defeat. After his 106 and Peter Trego's 52 - a stay that contained several strong leg-before shouts and what appeared to be a clear slip catch that was given not out - the next-highest contribution in Somerset's first innings was 16.

Even then, he was still obliged to come out once more to save the game. With Somerset losing their final five first-innings wickets for 22 runs, Warwickshire enforced the follow-on and Trescothick was the man - of course he was the man - who shielded an out-of-sorts middle-order to safety with another two hours of defiance. Tom Abell's unbeaten innings of 35, easily his highest score of the season to date, might prove quietly significant, too.

But this day was all about Trescothick. He batted for all but seven overs of it and the clenched fists and bat raised to all corners of the ground upon reaching his century hinted at how much the individual landmark meant to him. And the fact that it saved his side from defeat meant even more.

You won't hear a bad word about him in these parts. In any parts, really. And it is not just for his runs. It is for his obvious enthusiasm and commitment to the cause - his upset after Somerset finished as runners-up yet again a few years ago was painful to witness - his openness with supporters, his bravery in confronting his mental health issues and trying to help others with theirs. And, perhaps, his vulnerability, too. Somerset are as protective of him as they are proud.

There are, as Trescothick accepts, aspects of his story and Gimblett's that are "not too dissimilar". Both were local lads who, for many years, plundered runs for their county but were then afflicted by dark moods over which they had no control. But while Trescothick, in time, found sympathy and understanding, Gimblett took his own life. One day, we may well reflect that it has been Trescothick's work improving the awareness of mental health issues in sport that has been even more significant than his runs. Certainly, he has made life easier for those who come after him.

"The cricket gets forgotten quite quickly," Trescothick said. "The team and the club moves on. But hopefully the mental health work will be remembered a bit longer. Hopefully we have educated a few people and given them hope that they can talk about it and gain help. That will probably live on for longer. In 10 years, that might be what people remember."

Trescothick continues to battle his demons. "Even this week, I've had sleepless nights. I've not been feeling quite right. You have to manage those feelings and get through those periods. I can still cope and play cricket when I don't feel right. I've learned to manage it a bit."

Such has been his struggle for confidence this season, Trescothick called his sponsors last week for a new batch of bats. Whether the change was real or psychological, 152 runs for one dismissal in this match suggest something clicked. He gave one chance in the second innings - a pull for six that Grant Thornton clung on to but on the wrong side of the boundary - but generally looked wonderfully assured against a ball that was turning sharply by the end of the match.

"Of course I still doubt myself," he said. "Absolutely I doubt myself. That will never go away. I felt a million miles away from form this season. I've been really battling for rhythm. But you fight through and I desperately wanted to reach this milestone at home. As a professional sportsman you pride yourself on days like this. It's what I want more than anything. It's why I'm still playing at 41."

There's no reason why there should not be a few more centuries to come. His hunger for the game is such that, even in the last few days, he has been asking to play 2nd XI games to ensure he remains in form - an experience he describes as "brilliant fun". His days as a white-ball player behind him - it is the fielding that has become the issue - he will appear a fair bit more for the seconds in the coming weeks as T20 dominates the domestic schedule. His young colleagues are lucky to have him.

"He is a fantastic bloke and great role model," Warwickshire's captain, Ian Bell, agreed. "All the young players here can tap into him and this is a great achievement."

There was a moment in early afternoon when Warwickshire seemed far from convinced what a fantastic bloke he was. Trego, on 34, appeared to have edged to Jonathan Trott at slip but the umpires said they were unsure the ball had carried and Trescothick, naturally, backed his team-mate. He appeared to exchange a few words with Trott, in particular, and perhaps disturbed by the combination of that incident and reaching his century, he fell to a loose drive against a wide delivery a few moments later.

His departure precipitated a collapse. Roelof van der Merwe was bowled first ball, attempting an oddly lavish drive, while with 38 more required to avoid the follow-on, Jamie Overton hooked straight to long leg. Thornton finished with four wickets on debut and looks certain to win an extension to his three-month contract. His action is far from pretty but, as Lasith Malinga proved, unusual does not necessarily mean unhelpful.

So Warwickshire enforced the follow-on. But two hours was never going to be enough to force victory on this pitch. Still, this was comfortably their best performance of the Championship season and news that Boyd Rankin is back in 2nd XI action and Olly Stone is continuing to improve might encourage them further.

Few who were present will recall many of those details, though. This was a day to marvel and celebrate Trescothick's longevity and excellence. And don't go thinking that he is coming to the end. A man who knew he required 29 in the first innings to reach 25,000 first-class runs will know he needs just over 2500 more to overhaul Gimblett's record tally of 21,142 for Somerset. Few would bet against him.

"That seems a long way off," he said. "But I don't envisage stopping any time soon. There are a lot more years yet to continue with what I've got to do. Hopefully I can continue to tape the body up. As long as I'm good enough, I'll continue to play. I still love playing cricket."