Somerset 208 and xxx (Rew 133*, Overton 89*, Suthar 3-80) lead Warwickshire 330 (Hain 68, Webster 64, Mousley 54) by 219 runs
Thomas Rew celebrated the completion of his A Levels with a second Rothesay County Championship century in the space of eight days to lead an unlikely Somerset fightback on the third day of the Division One match with Warwickshire at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.
The prodigiously talented 18-year-old, who hit his maiden hundred against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge last Sunday, struck 18 fours in making an unbeaten 133 off 237 balls, sharing an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 193 with Craig Overton, which took Somerset from an overnight 23 for 1 to 341 for 6 in their second innings, a lead of 219.
Skipper Overton contributed an impressive 89 not out to help his side recover from 148 for 6, just 26 in front. But on the day elder brother James suffered Test match defeat with England, Rew, who completed his exams at King's College, Taunton, on Thursday, deservedly made the headlines.
Play began with Somerset needing 99 runs to make their opponents bat again. Jordan Hermann and nightwatcher Josh Shaw batted confidently until the introduction of Manav Suthar from the River End. The Indian left-arm spinner struck in his fourth over as Hermann, on 34, attempted a slog-sweep and directed the ball to deep midwicket where Nathan Gilchrist took an excellent low catch.
Shaw was batting like a top order player, but lost another partner with the total on 69 as Tom Kohler-Cadmore was stumped aiming to drive a wide ball from Suthar.
The resolute Shaw battled away for 85 balls before falling for 22, nicking a defensive push off Suthar to slip and at 80 for 4, Somerset still trailed by 42. First-innings top scorer Lewis Goldsworthy and Rew wiped out the deficit either side of lunch, adding 44 before Goldsworthy fell lbw to a ball angled into him by Ethan Bamber.
Archie Vaughan made only 7 before being caught behind down the leg side attempting to pull a short ball from Gilchrist. At that point, Somerset looked to be heading for defeat inside three days.
Rew and Overton had other ideas, the teenager leading the way with a fluent half-century off 95 balls, laced with eight sweetly struck boundaries. He rarely looked in any bother against seam or spin, confirming the promise that made him England Under-19 captain at the age of 17.
Overton is batting better than ever this season and offered typically positive support as the pair took the total to 224 for six by tea, a lead of 102.
The final session saw Overton follow his partner to fifty, off 87 balls, with seven fours and a six, before they brought up a century stand from 163 deliveries. Now Somerset were 126 in front and could harbour hopes of giving their spinners a lead to work with on the final day.
On 59, Overton appeared to survive a sharp low chance to backward-point off Jordan Thompson. But there were no other errors as he and Rew overtook Somerset's record seventh-wicket stand against Warwickshire - 140 between Ken Palmer and Harold Stephenson at Edgbaston in 1957.
Rew's brilliant century came off 171 balls and he went on to surpass the 127 made against Notts. Overton had faced 179 balls by the close, hitting 11 fours and a six, and all results are possible on the final day.
