Jack Leach took centre stage in a dramatic Essex batting collapse on the opening day of the County Championship Division One match with Somerset at Taunton.
The visitors looked to be coping well with a green pitch when progressing to 115-2 early in the afternoon session, having lost what looked likely to prove an important toss.
But England left-arm spinner Leach found plenty of turn from the River End and claimed three wickets in quick succession to help reduce Essex to 155-7 at tea.
They were eventually bowled out for 206, Noah Thain top-scoring with 41. Leach finished with 3-35 from 30 accurate overs, while seamer Migael Pretorius returned 3-24. By the close, Somerset had replied with 9-1, losing Archie Vaughan for a duck.
All eyes were on potential seam movement when Essex began their innings on a wicket barely distinguishable in colour to the outfield. But, while Somerset’s opening bowlers beat the bat on occasions, there was no sign of extravagant bounce or deviation off the surface.
Dean Elgar and Paul Walter took the total to 40 in the 14th over before the latter, on 22, miscued an intended straight drive off Craig Overton and chipped a simple catch to Josh Davey at mid-on.
Leach was introduced as early as the 21st over with the total on 55. He immediately began to cause problems operating around the wicket and turning the ball sharply at times away from the right-handers.
Elgar had progressed patiently to 30 when edging Pretorius just short of Overton at second slip. The following delivery crashed into the left-hander’s pads moving across his stumps and resulted in a successful lbw appeal to make the score 66-2.
Still there was no sign of the carnage ahead as Essex went in to lunch on 81-2, with Tom Westley on 13 and Jordan Cox 10. A further 34 runs were added before Davey made what proved a key breakthrough in the 44th over, his first after lunch, Westley edging to Overton at second slip and departing for 20.
The seamer quickly followed up by sending back Cox for 26, comfortably caught by Vaughan at mid-wicket off a mishit to make it 118-4. It was then that Leach began to weave his spell, maintaining an exemplary line and length to send back Michael Pepper, Matt Critchley and Simon Harmer in the space of four overs.
Pepper edged low to Overton at second slip to fall without scoring, while Critchley was lbw pushing forward and Harmer also leg-before defending off the back foot. At 136-7, Essex had lost five wickets for the addition of only 21 runs.
Thain was unbeaten on 26 at tea and doing his best to stem the slide. His solid resistance continued into the final session, aided by Sam Cook, dropped on eight by Tom Abell, deputising at second slip for Overton who was temporarily off the field, with Pretorius the unlucky bowler.
Somerset took the second new ball at 178-7, Pretorius striking in the first over with it as Cook, still on eight, top-edged a pull shot to Vaughan at fine leg. It was an overdue change of luck for the South African, who had beaten the bat on numerous occasions. His next over saw the end of Thain’s impressive contribution, caught behind driving, having battled away for 112 balls.
Last man Jamie Porter contributed a useful 19 before being bowled by Overton, leaving Somerset with a tricky five overs to bat at the end of a day played in warm sunshine. The fifth ball, sent down by Cook, saw Vaughan edge a catch to third slip.
Off-spinner Harmer opened the bowling at the end Leach exploited to such good effect and will be looking to play an equally important role tomorrow.
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