Courageous Hildreth braves pain before Somerset shoot themselves in the foot

Somerset 322 for 9 (Hildreth 135, Rogers 132, Ball 6-47) v NottinghamshireScorecard

Agony came in many forms for Somerset’s players and supporters on the first day of a match that could feasibly bring them their first Championship. The most noticeable was that felt by James Hildreth when he was struck on the ankle by Jake Ball in the 15th over of the morning. Yet Somerset’s No 4 dealt with the pain so successfully that he shared a 269-run stand for the third wicket with his captain, Chris Rogers.

Hildreth’s 135 and his partnership with Rogers boosted Somerset’s chances of collecting the five batting bonus points they desired to put pressure on the two leaders, Middlesex and Yorkshire, at the top of the Division One table.

But while Hildreth could deal with the severe discomfort in his own ankle, he could not prevent Somerset’s cricketers from shooting themselves in the foot. With an hour or so left for play, the home side were 302 for 2, sun was dappling the County Ground and a large crowd was savouring the possibility of their side gaining a full haul of five batting points.

An hour later, those same spectators were trooping away having seen their side lose seven wickets for 20 runs in 12 overs, the last five of those wickets falling for no runs at all in 22 balls. There was stunned silence, disbelief and the occasional cry of woe.

Jake Ball had taken four of the seven wickets and finished his day’s work with 6 for 47. That was a fine reward for the England seamer on a day when he had been head, shoulders and torso the pick of his team’s attack.

But at least two of Ball’s victims were complicit in their own downfall and at the other end Imran Tahir took two wickets after spending his preceding overs sending down the sort of tripe that butchers would not give to horses.

Lewis Gregory, who had …

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