Ball dominates bat as Somerset keep chasing title

Home skipper Jonny Bairstow top-scores with 79 before quick Ben Cliff strikes three times

Somerset 68 for 5 trail (Rew 17*, Cliff 3-31) trail Yorkshire 212 (Bairstow 79, Gregory 3-46, Ball 3-49, Pretorius 3-51) by 144 runs

Ball dominated bat during a topsy-turvy opening day between title-chasing Somerset and mid-table Yorkshire at Headingley.

League leaders Somerset's bid for a maiden Rothesay County Championship got off to a fine start in this penultimate-round fixture, with captain Lewis Gregory and overseas seamer Migael Pretorius claiming three wickets apiece as Yorkshire were bowled out for 212 during the first half of the evening.

Home skipper Jonny Bairstow top-scored with 79 off 111 balls before new-ball quick Ben Cliff struck three times as the visitors slipped to 24 for 4 in response. They closed on 68 for 5 from 28 overs.

Somerset head into the final fortnight of one of the closest title battles in recent memory with a slender advantage. Them, Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire are separated by just five points.

And just when they needed a good start, who better to deliver than their skipper and South African overseas quick. But Yorkshire roared back thanks largely to Cliff, who claimed three wickets in an innings for the first time in red-ball cricket.

Bairstow and George Hill, who contributed 45 and later took a stunning one-handed slip catch, shared a sixth-wicket 83 through the afternoon to recover mid-table Yorkshire from 85 for 5.

A rain shortened morning saw Yorkshire reach 77 for 4 after 25 overs on a used pitch which nibbled, with two wickets for Gregory, who lost the toss, one for Jake Ball and a run out.

Initially, Somerset - asked to bowl first - were a bit full to allow Yorkshire a bright start before Gregory had openers Adam Lyth and Will Luxton caught in the slips playing tentatively for 11 and 22 respectively.

Sam Whiteman then chopped on to Ball before Matthew Revis was run out at the striker's end by a direct hit from Josh Thomas at midwicket after James Wharton called him through for a quick single.

Further success came Gregory's way when he yorked Wharton during the early stages of the afternoon.

Bairstow and Hill settled for Yorkshire, the latter even picking up an all-run four to wide long-on at one point.

While Bairstow has had his time at international level, Hill's is surely yet to come, with growing calls for his inclusion in England's Test plans.

His performances with the ball have stood out for a couple of years now, whereas this summer the 25-year-old has married excellence in both disciplines as well as being a very handy slip fielder.

The pair advanced against seam and spin, with 2019 Ashes hero Jack Leach back on familiar territory.

By the time Bairstow - dropped twice en-route to 50 - reached his half-century off 74 balls, Yorkshire were 160 for 5.

Bairstow was strong on the drive against seam and swept and reverse swept against Leach's left-arm spin but saw Hill and Dom Bess fall caught behind to successive Pretorius deliveries as the score fell to 168 for 7 in the 53rd over.

Yorkshire reached tea at 182 for 7 before losing Kuldeep Yadav caught behind off Ball shortly afterwards.

Bairstow took the hosts beyond 200 before picking out long-off against Pretorius, who then saw Ball get Cliff caught at short midwicket to wrap the innings up.

Gregory finished with 3 for 46 from 18 overs and Pretorius 3 for 51 from 15.

The wickets continued to fall, with Ben Coad getting Tom Lammonby caught at first slip and new-ball partner Cliff trapping Thomas lbw as the score fell to 11 for 2.

Opener Archie Vaughan, watched by his dad Michael, pulled Cliff for six. But Cliff gained revenge, bowling him and getting Tom Abell caught behind next ball, leaving the score at 24 for 4 after 12.

Hill later helped Matthew Revis remove Henry Nicholls with a stunning one-handed catch going to his right at first slip.