County Championship: Somerset's Matt Renshaw hits ton against Nottinghamshire
- Published
Matt Renshaw reached 106 before being dismissed by Nottinghamshire spinner Matthew Carter
Specsavers County Championship Division One, Cooper Associates County Ground (day one): |
Somerset 307-7: Renshaw 106, Davies 59*, Abell 57; Carter 4-81 |
Nottinghamshire: Yet to bat |
Nottinghamshire 2 pts, Somerset 3 pts |
Somerset opener Matt Renshaw compiled his third County Championship century of the summer on an even opening day against Nottinghamshire at Taunton.
The Australia batsman struck 12 fours and two sixes as he made 106 before being bowled by Matthew Carter (4-81).
Somerset captain Tom Abell added 57 but he fell to Luke Fletcher as Notts continued to check the hosts' progress.
Lewis Gregory and Roelof van der Merwe were both then dismissed in the space of five balls as they closed on 307-7.
Nottinghamshire lead Division One by seven points from second-placed Somerset, who had looked to be finishing the day in the stronger position, with Steven Davies (59 not out) well set and the score 288-5, but those two late blows leave the match finely poised.
Spinner Carter, 22, was the pick of the Nottinghamshire bowlers on only his sixth first-class appearance, also dismissing George Bartlett (29) and James Hildreth before claiming the prized wicket of Renshaw.
Bartlett and Hildreth fell in almost identical fashion, with both batsmen caught by Ross Taylor at slip, the New Zealand international swooping low down to his right.
He struck again late on to bowl Gregory, and van der Merwe followed in the very next over, before England spinner Dom Bess secured the third batting point three balls before the close.
Somerset centurion Matt Renshaw:
"It was great to mark the last home game of my time with Somerset by scoring a century.
"The supporters have been great to me from the moment I arrived and were again.
"I was disappointed not to go on to a big hundred, but Tom Abell and Steve Davies played really well to get us into a decent position."
Notts skipper Steven Mullaney:
"Eight wickets would have been ideal for us, but we would have settled for seven at the start of play because it is a very good pitch.
"I think it will turn, but 307-7 is about a par score for them. We had a period either side of tea when we could have been a bit tighter, but we bowled well for long periods.
"Matt Carter was outstanding, Matt Milnes did a great job, while Luke Fletcher toiled away and was magnificent. I am pretty happy overall."