Worcestershire displayed real character and resilience with the bat on the third day of their Rothesay County Championship fixture at The Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton, as Adam Hose, Brett D’Oliveira and Kashif Ali led a determined response to a monumental Somerset first-innings total powered by Tom Banton’s historic 371.
Despite being faced with a first-innings deficit of over 500 runs, Worcestershire finished the day on 280 for five – a spirited second innings reply built on grit, skill, and sheer resolve after earlier slipping to 116 for four.
Former Somerset man Hose was the backbone of the innings, compiling a composed and fluent 82 during a vital 141-run fifth-wicket partnership with Club Captain D’Oliveira, who ended the day unbeaten on 71. Kashif Ali also impressed with a stylish 51, while Ethan Brookes added a positive 35 in the top order.
The day had begun with Worcestershire still in the field and Banton on the brink of rewriting history. Resuming on 344 not out, the England white-ball batter added 27 more runs in the morning session, becoming only the fifth player in the long history of the County Championship to score more than 370 in an innings. He was finally dismissed for 371 off 403 balls – an extraordinary knock featuring 56 fours and 2 sixes.
Worcestershire showed great sporting spirit, with every player shaking Banton’s hand as he left the field following his dismissal, caught behind off Tom Hinley after nearly nine hours at the crease. Somerset declared immediately at 670 for seven, setting Worcestershire the enormous task of batting out time and recovering pride with the bat.
Unfortunately, the reply got off to a difficult start. Gareth Roderick fell lbw to Craig Overton with just 16 on the board. Despite seam doing the early damage, it was clear Somerset viewed Jack Leach as their main threat on a dry, wearing surface, the England left-armer entering the attack as early as the eighth over.
Leach struck in his third over, trapping Jake Libby lbw with a ball that turned just enough to beat the inside edge. Worcestershire went into lunch at 58 for two, with Kashif Ali and Ethan Brookes beginning to settle after a tricky opening hour.
The pair added 37 more runs in the afternoon, both playing positively, particularly off the back foot. Brookes looked in excellent touch before an attempted sweep against Leach brought his downfall on 35 – top-edging to deep backward square where Sean Dickson took a comfortable catch.
Kashif, meanwhile, had reached a composed half-century from 85 balls with eight boundaries but was visibly frustrated with the manner of his dismissal shortly after. Looking to go aerial down the ground, he mistimed his stroke and picked out Overton at mid-off, departing for 51 and leaving Worcestershire in a precarious position at 116 for four.
With the game still heavily in Somerset’s favour, the hosts would have fancied their chances of quickly wrapping things up. But Hose and D’Oliveira had other ideas.
Showing admirable calmness under pressure, the duo set about rebuilding the innings. Hose, making his first appearance at Taunton since leaving Somerset in 2017, played with real purpose, punishing anything short and working the ball neatly through the gaps. He reached a 68-ball fifty with his eighth boundary and struck a clean straight six off Leach for good measure.
At the other end, D’Oliveira brought his usual calm authority to the crease, rotating the strike expertly and putting away the bad ball. His half-century came from 93 balls and featured six boundaries, underlining his importance in anchoring the innings and keeping Somerset’s bowlers at bay.
By tea, the pair had taken Worcestershire to 191 for four and looked in total control, blunting both spin and seam with maturity and poise. The second new ball was eventually taken with Worcestershire on 257 for four after 80 overs, and it finally brought Somerset the breakthrough they desperately needed, a well-directed yorker from Kasey Aldridge trapping Hose lbw for a superb 82, ending a 151-ball vigil that included 12 fours and a six.
Nevertheless, it was a high-quality knock from the former Somerset man, and his partnership with D’Oliveira gave Worcestershire not only stability but also a platform for further resistance heading into the final day.
With the deficit still standing at 236 runs, there remains plenty of work to do, but this was a day where Worcestershire showed real fight, and a willingness to stand tall against the odds.
The job is far from done, but under the leadership of D’Oliveira and with wickets in hand, Worcestershire will look to build further on this strong platform and take pride from their efforts on the final day.
Day Three Highlights
