Hampshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset all enjoyed victories in the opening round of fixtures
By Gary Naylor for the 99.94
Cricket Blog
Somerset started the season by taking a step closer to their traditional autumnal heartbreak with a wonderfully resistant win over Middlesex. After Sam Robson’s opening day 165, Middlesex’s bowlers looked like earning double helpings of triple sweaters until Marchant de Lange biffed a few while Jack Leach wiped the ice off his glasses at the other end to save the follow-on. The home side were still favourites after Josh Davey and Leach won a flurry of second innings LBW decisions to leave Somerset chasing 285. Captain, Tom Abell, got his team over half way, but it was the unbroken seventh wicket stand of 98 between George Bartlett and Lewis Gregory that got them over the line.