Ek damdaar aur composed performance ke saath, Tom Lammonby ki not out century aur Tom Abell ke saath unki 102-run ki unbroken partnership ne Somerset ko Durham ke khilaf Rothesay County Championship Division One match mein 7 wicket se jeet dilayi. Ye match Banks Homes Riverside, Chester-le-Street mein 23–26 May 2025 ke beech khela gaya. Is jeet ke saath Somerset ne apna teesra lagatar match jeeta, aur unki form ne ye saabit kar diya ki wo iss season ke serious contenders hain.
Match Ka Background aur Somerset ka Challenge
Match ki shuruaat Durham ke toss jeetne ke baad batting se hui, lekin pitch itni lively thi ki sirf do dinon mein 31 wickets gir gaye. Durham ne pehle innings mein 277 run banaye — Ollie Robinson ke 52 aur last-wicket stand kaafi crucial raha. Somerset ki batting collapse ho gayi aur wo sirf 172 pe all out ho gaye, jahan Durham ke debutant Mitch Killeen ne 5/36 ki zabardast bowling ki.
Durham ka doosra innings bhi kuch khaas nahi raha — sirf 159 runs bana paye. Is tarah Somerset ke saamne target tha 265 runs ka, aur pitch abhi bhi bowlers ko madad de rahi thi. Din 2 ke khatma tak Somerset 71/1 pe the — Lewis Gregory 37* aur Tom Lammonby 19* ke saath crease par the. Unhe jeet ke liye abhi bhi 194 run chahiye the.
Lammonby aur Abell ne Sambhala Morcha
Teesre din Somerset ne Gregory ka early wicket gawaya, lekin Lammonby ne James Rew ke saath milke 55 run ki partnership banayi. Rew ne 31 run banaye lekin phir Alex Lees ne unhe Colin Ackermann ki bowling pe catch kiya. Score tha 128/3 aur ab bhi 137 run chahiye the.
Uske baad aaye Tom Abell. Lammonby aur Abell ne milkar ek solid aur sensible partnership banayi. Lammonby ne 70 balls me apna fifty complete kiya — 5 boundaries ke saath — aur fir apne century ki taraf steadily badhte gaye. Unki footwork precise thi aur unhone field ke gaps ache se exploit kiye.
Abell ne ek dam calm aur composed batting ki. Na zyada risk liya, na pressure mein aaye. Dono ne milkar Durham ke bowlers ko thaka diya. 102-run ki unbroken partnership ke saath unhone Somerset ko jeet ki taraf confidently le gaye.
Lammonby ki Century – Class ka Pradarshan
Lammonby ki ye not out century unki batting maturity ka proof thi. Ye unka pehla hundred nahi tha — 2020 mein unhone Worcestershire ke khilaf century maar kar apna naam banaya tha jab wo sirf 20 saal ke the. 2024 mein wo sirf 59 run se 1,000 First-Class runs ka landmark miss kar gaye the, lekin unka average 39.30 tha.
Unhone pichhle saal kaha tha:
“Red ball cricket mein ek badi century hi wo cheez thi jo main miss kar raha tha… Tom Abell jaise matches jeetna mera goal hai.”
Aur is baar unhone wohi kar ke dikhaya.
Abell ka Role aur Team Spirit
Abell ki innings calm aur mature thi. Unhone Lammonby ko support kiya, singles rotate kiye aur pressure build hone nahi diya. Unka ye experience 2024 ke Bob Willis Trophy final jaise moments mein bhi dikha tha. Is partnership mein experience aur youth ka perfect combo dikhne ko mila.
Somerset ke bowlers bhi match mein shine kar gaye — Matt Henry ne match mein 7 wickets liye (7/111) aur Migael Pretorius ne 3/46 ke figures diye. Jack Leach aur Craig Overton bhi kaafi effective rahe. Team ne milkar match pe kabhi control chhodne nahi diya.
Championship Par Impact
Ye Somerset ki teesri jeet thi continuous — Sussex ke khilaf pichhle match mein bhi unhone chase successfully kiya tha. Us match mein Lewis Gregory (89*), Archie Vaughan (80) aur Lammonby (60) shine kiye the.
Ab unhone Durham jaise team ke against 265 runs ka tough chase pura kiya, wo bhi itne confidence ke saath — clearly ye team County Championship title ke liye serious race mein hai.
Durham ke liye ye defeat thoda disappointing raha, lekin unke liye kuch positives bhi the — debutant Mitch Killeen ka 5/36, Ollie Robinson ki innings aur James Minto ka contribution.
25 May 2025 ko complete hua ye match Somerset ke liye ek aur milestone ban gaya. Lammonby ki unbeaten century aur Abell ke saath unki match-winning partnership ne team ke confidence ko next level tak le gaya. Ye jeet unki consistency, depth aur pressure mein performance ka perfect example thi — agar aise hi form mein rahe, toh 2025 ka County Championship title unka ho sakta hai.
Match Summary
Match: Somerset vs. Durham
Competition: County Championship Division One
Dates: 23–26 May 2025
Venue: Banks Homes Riverside, Chester-le-Street
Score Summary:
- Durham 1st Innings: 277 (Robinson 52, Henry 4/60)
- Somerset 1st Innings: 172 all out (Killeen 5/36)
- Durham 2nd Innings: 159 all out (Henry 3/51, Pretorius 3/46)
- Somerset 2nd Innings: 265/3 (Lammonby 100*, Abell not out, Gregory 37, Rew 31)
- Result: Somerset won by 7 wickets
Star Performers:
- Tom Lammonby: 100* (anchor of the chase)
- Tom Abell: Calm finisher, built crucial stand
- Matt Henry: 7 wickets in match
- Mitch Killeen: 5/36 on debut
Importance:
- Somerset ki lagatar 3rd jeet
- Lammonby ki century ne unki status ko aur solid banaya
- Title ke liye Somerset ab full contenders hain
Aise performance se team ka confidence sky high hai — agla match aur bhi exciting hoga.
