Kohler-Cadmore Century Puts Somerset in Command Against Warwickshire

Tom Kohler‑Cadmore struck his 12th first‑class century as Somerset laid the platform for an imposing total against Warwickshire on the opening day of their Rothesay County Championship match at Edgbaston.

After opting to bat first on a placid surface, Somerset closed the day on 327 for 3. Kohler‑Cadmore (104 from 138 balls) and Josh Davey (64 from 121) put on 186 for the first wicket, before Tom Lammonby followed up with an unbeaten 75 from 129 deliveries.

It was a gruelling day for a Warwickshire side missing veteran seamer Chris Rushworth due to a tweaked hamstring and including debutant Australian spinner Cory Rocchiccioli, starting a short‑term contract.

Somerset’s decision to bat proved a wise one, and their move to promote Davey to opener was emphatically justified. Together with Kohler‑Cadmore, he progressed to a century stand in the 24th over. The opener offered Jacob Bethell a challenging re‑entry into county cricket when he lifted the spinner’s third delivery down the ground for a six. Bethell, introduced early and ahead of Rocchiccioli, conceded 23 in his first two overs.

Kohler‑Cadmore punished the benign surface, reaching fifty from 67 balls and converting it to three figures in 128 deliveries, bringing up his 12th first‑class hundred with a pull for four off Che Simmons. The young seamer quickly responded, removing both openers in the space of six balls.

First, Davey hoisted a leg‑side delivery to long leg, falling for 64 with what would have been a career‑best score of 75 in sight. Kohler‑Cadmore followed soon after, gloving a pull to wicketkeeper Kai Smith. Somerset’s record opening stand versus Warwickshire — the 223 compiled by Jimmy Cook and Peter Roebuck at Taunton in 1990 — remained intact.

With the openers gone, Warwickshire had a window of opportunity, but Lammonby and James Rew combined for a patient stand of 68 in 26 overs to regain control. Rew departed for 27, angrily pulling a slower ball from Olly Hannon‑Dalby to point, but Lammonby pressed on, reaching his half‑century from 93 balls with a pulled four off Simmons, and alongside Tom Abell kept the Warwickshire attack at bay until stumps.

For Warwickshire, it was a tough initiation for debutant spinner Rocchiccioli, who finished the day wicketless for 68 but kept discipline despite the unresponsive surface. He can draw comfort from the fact that other Warwickshire spinners, such as Eric Hollies and Jeetan Patel, also suffered challenging debuts — going for 150 in their first games in 1932 and 2009 respectively — yet went on to claim a combined 3,743 wickets for the county.

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