Somerset bowl Warwickshire out for 121 in dominant display

Somerset delivered another dominant performance as they bowled Warwickshire out for 121 and replied with 80 for 2 on the opening day of their Bob Willis Trophy match at Edgbaston.

Tom Abell's side took immediate control against the Bears, who chose to bat and soon hit 15 for 3 in the face of a high-class opening spell of 7-5-4-2 from Craig Overton, who finished with 14-6-17-3 in superb work on a good batting pitch.

Abell nipped out the tail with 3.2-2-4-3 while Somerset's bowlers were backed up by razor-sharp fielding which included two direct-hit run outs from the skipper and Tom Banton.

It was cricket bristling with purpose and confidence and, with two wins and 50 points already banked from their first two games, Somerset are strong contenders for a place in the Bob Willis Trophy final at Lord's.

For Warwickshire, it was a day to forget as the batting imploded and the bowling, apart from the excellent Olly Hannon-Dalby, toiled fruitlessly in the absence of the injured Liam Norwell and Olly Stone. To cap their joyless day, they also sustained another injury when Matt Lamb suffered a cracked toe while batting. Whether he will bat in the second innings remains to be seen.

With confidence fragile after their collapse at Bristol last Tuesday, Warwickshire soon hit trouble after electing to bat. Overton swiftly removed Rob Yates, who edged a beauty to wicketkeeper Steven Davies, and bowled Sam Hain who played across a straight one.

The last thing the home side needed was a self-inflicted wound but that's what followed when Ian Bell called captain Will Rhodes for a sharp single. It was a decent call, a run was there, but Rhodes did not run hard enough and was beaten by Abell's direct hit.

Bell looked in good nick and added 34 in 11 overs with Lamb but departed in infuriating fashion when he tickled a Lewis Gregory delivery down the leg side to Davies. Lamb went on to 22 but succumbed to the last ball before lunch when Overton completed his morning's work by bowling the batsman through the gate.

That sent Warwickshire into lunch 65 for 5, after which Michael Burgess and Tim Bresnan took the score to 88 before the former played on to Gregory.

Somerset were bowling more than well enough not to require gifts but another wicket was then donated to them when Alex Thomson played his first ball to square leg and embarked upon a single but Banton's throw arrived before he did.

That was two wickets in two balls. Two in three followed six overs later when Abell had Henry Brookes caught at first slip and Craig Miles pouched by the keeper. When, in his next over, Abell induced a nick from Hannon-Dalby, Bresnan, having again batted resolutely, was left unbeaten on 32 and Warwickshire were all out in 45.2 overs.

Somerset's reply was solidly launched by Ed Byrom and Tom Lammonby, who added 56 in 17 overs before both fell to Hannon-Dalby, caught at first and second slip respectively.