County Championship: Hampshire finish opening day in command in opposition to Somerset

Joe Weatherley’s half-century was his ninth in first-class cricket

LV= County Championship Division One, The Ageas Bowl, Southampton (day one):

Somerset 180: Hildreth 87; Barker 3-33

Hampshire 109-0: Weatherley 65*

Hampshire (3 pts) trail Somerset (0 pts) by 71 runs

Scorecard.

Hampshire dominated the opening day of the season as injury-and-illness hit Somerset were left rueing the decision to bat first at the Ageas Bowl.

Led by Mohammad Abbas (2-28) and Keith Barker (3-33), the home attack made the most of the surface’s early assistance to reduced Somerset to 61-5 at lunch.

Only James Hildreth’s skilful 87 saved them from total ruin as they made 180.

Joe Weatherley (65) and Ian Holland (41) then drove home Hampshire’s advantage reaching 109-0 at stumps.

Without eight first-team players including Tom Banton (broken finger), Jack Leach and Craig Overton (unavailable) and Lewis Gregory and Jack Brookes (illness), Somerset found the going tough after winning the toss.

Despite the strong wind in…

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