Keith Barker's half-dozen leads Hampshire to victory as Somerset fold
Somerset bowled out for 69 in second innings as Barker stars with bat and ball
ECB Reporters Network21-May-2022
Keith Barker ran through Somerset in the second innings•Getty Images
Keith Barker played key roles with bat and ball as Hampshire completed a resounding ten-wicket LV= County Championship win over Somerset inside three days at Taunton.The 35-year-old left-arm seamer began by contributing a valuable 36 to help his side extend their first innings total from an overnight 144 for 5 to 280 all out, Aneurin Donald making 57 and James Fuller a rapid 38 to give Hampshire a lead of 69 on first innings.Barker then got to work with the ball, combining extravagant swing with nagging accuracy to claim 6 for 27 from an unbroken 13-over opening spell as Somerset crashed to 25 for 6 before being bowled out with the scores level.Opener Felix Organ hit the required single for victory off the fourth ball of Hampshire’s second innings and his team took 21 points to Somerset’s four to enhance an impressive start to the Championship campaign, keeping them on the tail of early leaders Surrey.The day began with the visitors trailing on first innings by 67. Ben Brown failed to add to his overnight score of 19 before being pinned lbw by Peter Siddle with the total on 152.At 154 for 6 in the 59th over, the ball had to be changed for the second time in the innings. By then Donald was showing a desire to get on the front foot, profiting from some sweetly timed drives as he and Barker ate into Somerset’s lead.A key moment came at 195 for 6 when Donald, on 29, was dropped by Craig Overton at gully off Josh Davey. It was an error the home side could ill afford and Barker had moved confidently to 26 when greeting the introduction of England spinner Jack Leach with a six and a four off his first two balls.The first of those shots put Hampshire in front. The next delivery saw Barker caught at midwicket, but Donald went to a 74-ball half-century before falling to the second new ball, bowled by Siddle.Kyle Abbott fell cheaply to Overton, but Fuller ensured Hampshire of a meaningful advantage, striking four fours and two sixes as Somerset bowled poorly during a last wicket stand of 24 with Mohammad Abbas.Overton and Siddle ended with four wickets each. But momentum was with Hampshire and a series of wretched shots contributed to Somerset’s nightmare second innings, their batting line-up lacking the technique to cope with the swinging ball.
Tom Lammonby was caught behind for a duck off Abbas, while opening partner Matt Renshaw was trapped lbw on his crease by Barker to make it 12 for 2. Tom Abell followed a leg-side delivery from Barker and glanced a catch to Ben Brown before Tom Banton top-edged an ill-judged pull off Abbas to give the wicketkeeper another victim.James Hildreth moved to 18,000 first-class runs with a single to get off the mark, but it proved his only contribution as he was bowled by a full, swinging ball from Barker. A similar delivery saw Lewis Gregory fall leg-before and Somerset were in disarray. Overton helped Steve Davies add 32 before being bowled by another full Barker delivery for 13.Another loose shot saw Davies, on 19, have his leg stump uprooted by Abbott before Leach was brilliantly caught at cover by Nick Gubbins, having middled a drive off Abbott. After Davey had brought the scores level with a glanced boundary off Barker, an embarrassing Somerset batting effort ended with him being bowled next ball shouldering arms.”We knew that if we could get a lead of 50 or 100 it would be very difficult for them, but we were never expecting ten wickets in a session,” Barker said. “The pitch offered a lot throughout the whole game. I just kept on plugging away and it was my turn to take wickets this innings.”Abell, Somerset’s captain, said: “We are not going to make excuses for ourselves: that was really poor. Obviously, this is a setback. It’s not fatal because there is so much cricket to be played, but having made such strides it is a shame we couldn’t kick on and give a better account of ourselves.”We are better that what we have shown. The lack of fight and the lack of character in the second innings is what hurts us most.”