Lewis Gregory takes career-best figures as Somerset rally against Nottinghamshire

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All-rounder Lewis Gregory took a career-best seven for 84 as Somerset fought back to dismiss Nottinghamshire for 256 at Trent Bridge.

Asked to bat first, the home side had looked set for a dominant day as Ben Duckett (75) and Haseeb Hameed (65) shared an opening partnership of 125 but a partly self-inflicted collapse saw five Nottinghamshire wickets fall for 22, three of them to Gregory, who also mopped up the last four with Tom Moores (32) the next biggest contributor with the bat.

Somerset replied with 28 for two in 15 overs before the last six scheduled overs were lost to bad light, Brett Hutton taking both wickets to take his career tally to 250 in first-class matches.

Gregory, familiar with this ground as the captain of The Hundred franchise Trent Rockets, will hope his performance sets up Somerset for a repeat of their 2019 innings victory here, when he took six for 68.

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The day had appeared to be heading in a different direction at lunch, when Nottinghamshire were 106 without loss and Somerset skipper Tom Abell may have been wondering if his decision to field had been misguided, although he had not been well served by his bowlers to that point.

It did not help that Craig Overton limped out of the attack after only three overs, although whatever ailed him had eased enough to permit a return in the afternoon.

Aussie veteran Peter Siddle, back on the ground where he spent the 2014 season, warranted respect, but as a collective they struggled to contain Duckett.

That said, containing Duckett these days represents a test for any bowler. The left-hander has long favoured a positive approach and his return to the England ranks has emboldened him further.

He tucked into spinner Jack Leach with relish, reverse-sweeping his Test team-mate’s second ball for six to complete a 61-ball half century.

Hameed’s approach was more circumspect. While Duckett was immediately on the front foot, his partner needed 29 balls to execute a scoring shot, although the quality of his strokeplay was quickly evident in a trio of boundaries off Gregory.

Yet he struggled for fluency and was granted an escape straight after lunch, on 34, put down at first slip off the returning Overton, who understandably bowled within himself at first but made the first breakthrough with a full-pitched ball that beat Duckett to hit him in front.

That delivery broke a four-runs-per-over partnership of the kind spectators here can expect to see regularly in the weeks ahead as Duckett seeks to retain his England spot ahead of the Ashes and Hameed looks to build his own case for promotion after captaining England Lions over the winter.

Gregory struggled for consistency early on and Hameed profited again with a flurry of boundaries, albeit the one that took him to 52 off 120 balls, his ninth overall, was a fortunate slice over the slip cordon.

But Gregory exacted revenge when Hameed fell tamely on 65, his bottom-edged pull caught behind down the legside, after which the Somerset all-rounder struck twice with consecutive balls in his next over as Ben Slater top-edged extravagantly to mid-wicket before a peach of a delivery bowled Lyndon James first ball.

Siddle removed Joe Clarke, caught at second slip off a loose push, and Steven Mullaney, leg before to a perfect inswinger, reducing the home side to 186 for six from 164 for one to tip the balance in Somerset’s favour.

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Moores and Dane Paterson (15) ensured that the home side secured a batting point but Gregory was not done. He dismissed Liam Patterson-White, Moores and Stuart Broad in the space of eight deliveries to take six in an innings for the sixth time before Paterson holed out to deep backward point to hand him his career-best.

All eyes were on Broad as he bowled his first overs of the season but there was frustration for the England man as Tom Lammonby was dropped by wicketkeeper Moores on two but the young left-hander was able to add only two more runs before a thin edge saw Moores make amends as Hutton, who had already dismissed ex-Durham opener Sean Dickson for his second duck in three innings for his new county, claimed his second wicket.

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