Warwickshire's dominant position was solidified on the third day of the Vitality County Championship Division One match against Somerset at Taunton, thanks to half-centuries from Rob Yates, Alex Davies, and Jacob Bethell.
Warwickshire, having bowled out Somerset for 284 from an overnight 208 for 6, secured a first-innings lead of 128. Tom Abell was dismissed for 61, while Craig Overton remained unbeaten on 35. Oliver Hannon-Dalby, continuing his impressive form, added two more wickets to his tally, finishing with 6 for 56 from 18.2 overs.
In their second innings, Yates and Davies forged a century opening partnership, propelling Warwickshire to 284 for 8 by stumps, leading by 409 runs. Bethell’s sparkling 66 further extended their advantage. Overton’s 4 for 57 provided some resistance, but Somerset faced the challenging task of saving the game on the final day.
On a morning when Somerset welcomed over 1300 schoolchildren from the South West with free admission, their immediate goal was to avoid the follow-on by scoring 55 runs. However, Abell was trapped lbw by Michael Booth without adding to his overnight score, and Kasey Aldridge, after striking a few boundaries, edged to Yates at second slip off Booth.
Overton, needing to play a captain’s innings, survived an lbw appeal on his first ball and proceeded to bat confidently, hitting six boundaries. Alongside James Rew, he guided Somerset to a batting point at 250 for 8. Rew’s three runs off Ed Barnard's delivery signaled Warwickshire's turn to bat next. Hannon-Dalby, with the second new ball, dismissed Rew and bowled Migael Pretorius with a swinging yorker, ending Somerset’s innings. Overton was left not out after facing just 36 balls.
Yates and Davies added 25 runs to Warwickshire’s lead before lunch, and their steady partnership continued into the afternoon session. Both batsmen reached their fifties, with Yates scoring off 90 balls and Davies off 87. Their 106-run stand was broken when Davies, immediately after reaching his half-century, was bowled by Jack Leach. Somerset’s hopes were briefly lifted when Yates was caught at fine leg off Overton.
Sam Hain and Will Rhodes adopted a cautious approach, reaching 125 for 2 at tea, with Hain contributing just 3 off 33 balls. Rhodes then accelerated, hitting consecutive boundaries off Aldridge, but his momentum was cut short when he edged an Overton delivery to the wicketkeeper for 36.
Dan Mousley’s misjudged advance against Overton led to a catch at mid-on, and at 175 for 4, Warwickshire wobbled. Hain, having dug in, partnered with Bethell to stabilize the innings with a half-century stand before losing patience and being caught at mid-on for 43.
Bethell, in great form, reached his fifty off 71 balls with a six off Overton. However, he was trapped lbw by Leach, who then dismissed Chris Woakes for a duck. By the end of the day, Warwickshire was firmly in control, leading Somerset by 409 runs.