Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Adam Lyth took the winning wicket for Yorkshire against Somerset at Taunton in 2017, the White Rose winning a County Championship thriller by three runs as Craig Overton chipped to mid-wicket.
Adam Lyth heads to Taunton this weekend needing just one more wicket for 50 in his first-class career, and he will always remember one in particular that he took against Somerset at the same venue back in 2017.
Almost nine years ago, in mid-June, Yorkshire travelled to the West Country for County Championship match number six of the summer. They had won two, drawn two and lost one up to that point.
On the back of three successive cracks at the title – two successful, one not – things were looking promising under the new leadership of head coach Andrew Gale. They had just beaten Lancashire by 10 wickets at Headingley.
In the end, Yorkshire finished fourth in the table behind champions Essex, who ran away with the title under the coaching duo of Chris Silverwood and Anthony McGrath.
The White Rose finished with four wins from 14 matches, and this Somerset game in question at Taunton was one of them. It was achieved in thrilling fashion as well, with Lyth’s golden arm off-spin to the fore at the death.
This was a game in which neither side topped 300.
Yorkshire batted first and were bowled out for 202, with wicketkeeper-batter Andrew Hodd’s 59 standing out. Somerset, including a certain Dom Bess, then responded with 224. Craig Overton top-scored with 44 not out, Ryan Sidebottom starred with 5-56 for the White Rose.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. While Adam Lyth took the winning wicket, Ryan Sidebottom was crucial to the success with eight wickets in the match.
In the second innings, Yorkshire totalled 283 all out, thanks in the main to 70 from Peter Handscomb and 98 not out from Gary Ballance. Bess’s off-spin accounted for 5-80.
Starting just before tea on day three, Somerset were chasing 261 and headed into the final day on 101-4.
It was a chase which swung back and forth. At 49-4, it was Yorkshire’s. But, at 167-4, Somerset were in the ascendancy thanks to half-centuries from Adam Hose and Steve Davies.
After lunch, fledgling left-arm spinner Karl Carver struck a key blow to remove Hose before Sidebottom matched Steve Patterson’s early three wickets and gained success with reverse swing. Somerset fell to 250-9 but were still very much alive with Jamie Overton and Bess at the crease.
Lyth takes up the story: “It was a long time ago, but I can certainly remember getting that wicket.
“It was very tight at the end. I think they needed a couple of runs, but I managed to get the last wicket and the celebrations were absolutely crazy.
“Azeem Rafiq ended up getting injured, so I was bowling and managed to get a couple wickets.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Adam Lyth believes then captain Gary Ballance, who posted 98 in the second innings of the game in question at Taunton, is amongst the best three batters he has played with for Yorkshire.
“I remember getting smacked over my head for six by Jamie Overton, which was a risky shot. But then I tried an arm ball just in an attempt to get him off strike so that I could bowl at number 11, which happened to be Bessy.
“But he managed just to chip it into mid-wicket, where Karl took the catch.”
Following a bright start to the season, Yorkshire only won one more match to finish fourth.
“It was a rebuilding stage for a couple of years, but we still did ok,” said Lyth.
“We were there and thereabouts in the league.”
In a bowler’s game, Yorkshire captain at the time Ballance starred with his 98 not out, with Lyth full of praise for his former team-mate.
“That was a special knock because Jamie Overton was bowling with some serious pace. It was a high-class innings,” said Lyth.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Adam Lyth has a good career record against Somerset at Taunton with the bat. All Yorkshire supporters hope he continues that this weekend.
“Gary was an unbelievable player. You’ve got Rooty and Jonny and Gaz.
“They’re the three very special batters who I’ve played with in my Yorkshire career.”
On his bowling, Lyth said: “I love it. It would be nice to get to 50 wickets. That would be a lovely milestone.”
More importantly, though, are Lyth’s runs. And he has an impressive career record at Taunton, having scored five fifties and three hundreds in 12 Championship appearances at the Cooper Associates County Ground.
The left-hander added: “I certainly scored a lot down there earlier in my career. But wickets have completely changed down there.
