Rob Yates' maiden hundred puts Somerset on back foot
Warwickshire's 19-year-old No. 3 scores unbeaten 139 as home side build commanding position
ECB Reporters Network
18-Aug-2019
Rob Yates recorded his maiden first-class hundred • Getty Images
Warwickshire 303 for 4 (Yates 139*, Rhodes 82) v Somerset
Rob Yates notched his maiden first-class century as Warwickshire took a commanding position on day one of their Specsavers County Championship match against second-placed Somerset at Edgbaston.
Closing on 303 for 4, the Bears were led by the 19-year-old academy product, who looked assured as he reached 139 not out from 286 balls, with 22 fours, passing his previous first-class best of 91, which came at the beginning of July at Hampshire.
At 32 days shy of his 20th birthday, No. 3 Yates became the youngest Warwickshire batsman to score a ton since Sam Hain, who at the age of 18 years and 336 days, reached the total in his fifth match against Northants in 2014.
Yates took his team to a position that might have seemed unlikely when Dom Sibley departed in the second over of the day. With plenty of eyes watching the 23-year-old ahead of the third Ashes Test at Headingley, Sibley found Roelof van der Merwe at gully, leaving the hosts 0 for 1 after just 10 balls.
But with a short boundary in front of the Eric Hollies Stand, Warwickshire frustrated Somerset with an impressive 153 partnership from 232 balls between Yates and opener Will Rhodes.
Rhodes, who would eventually depart for 82 from 117 balls after being caught behind off the bowling of Craig Overton, struck 13 fours and one six in addition to Yates' 10 fours.
That gave the Bears a platform and any Somerset hope of quick wickets were subsequently dashed by Hain. The England Lions batsman scored just 25 from 104 balls before edging to Steven Davies off van der Merwe, but he had continued to frustrate a Somerset side who used six bowlers.
The partnership between Hain and Yates was worth 89, leaving the hosts on 242 for 3 and Adam Hose next in.
With the new ball available after 80 overs, the visitors persevered for an extra 5.2 overs before changing during Jack Brooks' 14th over. The move brought success with Craig Overton trapping Hose lbw for 17 from 36 balls, 20 balls later, earning him his second wicket. But wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose followed the trend, striking two fours in a 28-run partnership with Yates.
