Stevens takes four to rattle Somerset
Darren Stevens put the skids under Somerset after Kent had won the toss on the opening day of the County Championship match at Taunton
20-Jul-2010
Somerset 122 for 7 v Kent
Scorecard
Scorecard
Darren Stevens put the skids under Somerset after Kent had won the toss on the opening day of the County Championship match at Taunton. The hosts looked to have seen off the new ball and moved into a comfortable position when reaching 101 for 1 on a green pitch, but then lost six wickets for 17 runs either side of lunch.
Medium-pacer Stevens had figures of 4 for 21 from 10.4 overs when rain set in early in the afternoon with Somerset struggling on 122 for 7. The pitch always looked likely to assist the seamers, but Marcus Trescothick and Arul Suppiah still put together an opening stand of 64 before they were parted in the 14th over.
Trescothick was lbw for 27 pushing forward to Stevens, who was in his first over. The Somerset skipper had hit five fours in a typically positive innings. Jos Buttler joined Suppiah and the pair had taken the score to 101 in the 23rd over when Suppiah's dismissal sparked a dramatic slump. The opener drove without getting to the pitch of the ball and was caught at point by Joe Denly off Simon Cook for 34.
Two more wickets fell without addition to the total. Buttler was caught at second slip off Stevens for 20 and, two balls later, James Hildreth edged the same bowler to wicketkeeper Geraint Jones. Craig Kieswetter's disappointing form with the bat continued when he lifted a catch to cover and departed for six to give Stevens his fourth wicket.
It was 116 for 6 when Peter Trego was picked up at second slip by Martin van Jaarsveld off Amad Khan, who then had Ben Phillips caught behind for a duck with only two added to the score. Somerset had lost six wickets in 10 overs and it was something of a relief for the home dressing room when rain fell heavily with the scored on 122 for 7. It was the second time the players had been forced off and this time it was more than a shower.
Zander de Bruyn, who had watched much of the carnage from the other end, was unbeaten on 7 and vice-captain Alfonso Thomas on 4. The second rain break came at 2.25pm and at 5pm umpires Michael Gough and Neil Bainton decided no further play would be possible.
