County Championship: Brendan Taylor & Lumb put Notts on top

Brendan Taylor hit a powerful 152 and shared 157 with Michael Lumb (73) as the visitors reached 391-6 at stumps.

BRENDAN Taylor’s third Championship century of the season helped Nottinghamshire take control on the first day against Somerset at Taunton.

The Zimbabwean hit a powerful 152 and shared 157 with Michael Lumb (73) as the visitors reached 391-6 at stumps.

Skipper Riki Wessels (59 not out) and Steven Mullaney (42) were also among the runs as the batsmen dominated.

Alfonso Thomas (4-62) was the pick of the bowlers, and dismissed Taylor and Samit Patel with consecutive balls.

Nottinghamshire, who gave 19-year old off-spinner Matthew Carter a debut, won the toss and were soon prospering on a good batting surface, with Mullaney and Taylor posting 50 inside 14 overs.

Mullaney was eventually first to go for a well-compiled 42, bowled by Abdur Rehman, while his replacement Greg Smith went in similar fashion for 11, shouldering arms to Thomas.

At 109 for 2, Somerset would have hoped to make further quick inroads, but Taylor and Lumb, back from arm surgery, took command in the lead-up to lunch and during the afternoon session.

Taylor went to three figures from 128 balls by striking Tim Groenewald for a big six into the building work at the Old Pavilion End and Lumb looked capable of joining him in reaching a century, until was taken by Jim Allenby at slip off Rehman just before tea.

His departure did not faze Taylor, who passed 7,000 first-class runs during the course of his highest County Championship innings to date, and went on to hit 20 boundaries before he edged Thomas to Marcus Trescothick, who took a spectacular catch in the slips.

The was still no respite for Somerset, who also featured a debutant in the shape of former Hampshire wicket-keeper Michael Bates.

Wessels struck a fluent half-century in tandem with first Will Gidman (20), another Thomas victim, and then Luke Wood, to leave Notts just nine runs short of maximum batting points going into day two.
“It was an important toss to win and Notts made full use of it. The pitch turned a bit and will do so more as the match progresses, but it was basically what we wanted and good to bat on.

“Alfonso Thomas came back really strongly in the later stages of the day and showed his quality.

“It came down to a selection decision between him and Jamie Overton and we plumped for experience.”

Nottinghamshire batsman Brendan Taylor:

“I’ve had a dry three weeks or so and it’s great to have spent time in the middle and be back in some form.

“I’ve have been working hard trying to adjust a few issues with my foot movement, but with the ball moving around at places like Trent Bridge and Durham, it’s hard to put things right.

“Today it was a very good wicket and once I got through the new ball the aim was always to bat long.

“We have a good score, but need to push on tomorrow because Somerset are used to high-scoring games at Taunton.” -BBC