Abbott puts Hampshire on top against Somerset
South Africa bowler Kyle Abbott has so far taken 7-48 in this match
- Published
Vitality County Championship Division One, Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton (day two)
Somerset 136: Kohler-Cadmore 63; Dawson 4-28, Abbott 4-37 & 60-4: Abbott 3-11
Hampshire 196: Albert 77, Brown 35; Leach 5-52
Scores are level between Somerset (3pts) and Hampshire (3 pts)
Kyle Abbott wreaked more havoc on Somerset’s batting as Hampshire assumed a dominant position on the second day of the County Championship Division One game at Taunton.
The visitors gained a precious first-innings lead of 60 in the battle to finish runners-up behind champions Surrey by extending their overnight score of 62-5 to 196 all out, with Toby Albert making 77 and Jack Leach claiming 5-52.
Abbott then went to work, following his four first-innings victims with 3-11 as Somerset slumped to 60-4 by stumps on another rain-shortened day.
The 37-year-old seamer has now taken 67 wickets against them during his prolific career, more than against any other county.
Heavy rain overnight and morning drizzle meant a major mopping-up job and play eventually started at 12.55 BST.
Leach’s second ball of the day saw Felix Organ, on 12, edge to Kasey Aldridge at second slip.
Albert, who had been dropped before scoring by Aldridge on day one, moved to a valuable half-century, while Aldridge was at fault again when spilling a straightforward chance at square-leg, offered by Ben Brown on 10.
Albert hit straight sixes off Leach and Shoaib Bashir as the seventh-wicket partnership took Hampshire into the lead before the opener was caught behind flashing at a delivery from Aldridge.
Brown departed for 35, caught at backward point aiming to reverse-sweep Leach, to leave them 159-8, but Somerset’s hopes of restricting the lead suffered a blow when Bashir dropped Abbott at mid-on off Leach.
Abbott scored 18 before driving a catch to short cover off Lewis Gregory.
James Fuller then hit Archie Vaughan for six over long-on before perishing in the same over, caught at deep extra-cover for a rapid 25.
Tom Lammonby managed only a single before edging a catch behind off Mohammad Abbas at the start of Somerset’s second innings.
Abbott pinned Vaughan lbw for 25 and then induced edges from Andy Umeed and Tom Abell to have the hosts 38-4.
The scores were level when further rain curtailed the day's play.
Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network.
