Goodman makes mark on debut
15 April 2021
Dom Goodman showcased his talent on debut as Gloucestershire bowl out Somerset for 312 on the opening day of the LV=County Championship match at Taunton.
A daunting challenge for a 20-year-old, Goodman bowled economically and with a level head in the first meeting of Gloucestershire and Somerset in the County Championship since 2007.
Somerset were on the ropes early but Steve Davies came to the rescue of the home side with his team in trouble at 80 for four. The experienced wicketkeeper-batsman hit a stylish 87, sharing a sixth-wicket stand of 116 with Craig Overton, who made 54.
Seamers David Payne, Ryan Higgins and Matt Taylor claimed three wickets each. In three overs before the close, Gloucestershire replied with 13 for no wicket.
Gloucestershire all-rounder Ryan Higgins said:
"The first new ball did quite a bit off the pitch, but the second one didn't do as much. In the end I think we might have bowled them out for less, but to take ten wickets in the day was still decent for us.
"It was great to see Dom Goodman get his maiden first class wicket and it will give him a lot of confidence going forward. He is a big lad who makes use of his height and got good bounce out of the pitch.
"We are all looking forward to watching Kraigg Brathwaite bat tomorrow. He is a really laid-back character, who goes about his work in a quiet fashion and he is going to be a great influence on our dressing room."
The visitors had won the toss and taken an early grip. The last ball of the second over, sent down by Higgins, saw Tom Lammonby edge to George Hankins at second slip.
Tom Banton began confidently, but with the total on 42 he played Payne’s final delivery of the 11th over onto his stumps and departed for 29.
Skipper Tom Abell looked untroubled moving to 26, only to fall lbw to Taylor shouldering arms.
When James Hildreth was well caught low down at square leg by Tom Lace to give Taylor a second wicket, Somerset were in danger of collapse.
It was 94 for four at lunch and things continued to go well for Gloucestershire when George Bartlett fell lbw to Higgins for 22 to make it 110 for five.
But Davies had made good use of the short boundary on the town side of the ground to gain early momentum and soon appeared to have more time than his team-mates to play his shots.
A pulled six off Taylor and some attractive strokes through the covers helped take him to a fluent half-century off 92 balls.
Overton contributed some meaty blows as the pair brought up a hundred partnership in 21 overs.
By tea, they had taken the score to 222 for five, Overton having reached his fifty off 66 deliveries, with 8 fours.
Higgins broke the stand when Overton edged to Hankins in the slips and at 226 for six Somerset still had work to do.
Lewis Gregory was caught at backward point off Payne, with the second new ball. And when Davies was bowled off a bottom edge by the same bowler, having struck 12 fours and a six, it looked like being Gloucestershire’s day.
But Josh Davey and Marchant de Lange, last man out for 37, hit sixes off Payne in a breezy stand of 48 that brought a third batting point before Davey became a maiden first class victim for Dom Goodman.
Gloucestershire gave debuts to new overseas signing Kraigg Brathwaite and tall seamer Goodman, a 20-year-old Exeter University student, selected in place of the injured Josh Shaw.
