Tom Abell backed up Andy Flower’s warm words about his potential with a Championship century at Edgbaston
Jon Culley at Edgbaston08-May-2016
ScorecardTom Abell’s hundred came after some flattering comments from Andy Flower•Getty Images
One factor that has undoubtedly not helped as England continue their search for a long-term replacement for Andrew Strauss at the top of the Test side’s batting order is that some of the qualities required are just not that fashionable.Being solid, dependable and difficult to get out are virtues that are appreciated, without doubt. The trouble is that, in a game which, thank goodness, has grasped the need to be entertaining, the modern young batsman aspires to be something more. He is naturally less patient, too, than his forbears.When Alex Hales, the latest to try to nail down the job as Alastair Cook’s partner, spoke the other day of needing still to learn when to attack and when to rein himself in, he was in a way speaking for his generation. Aggression is a useful quality in an opener, if it can be kept under wraps and unleashed as appropriate. For Hales, though, it is an instinct and effort is required to curb it.It is little wonder, then, that wise old heads such as Marcus Trescothick and Andy Flower, are excited by the potential of Tom Abell. Unlike Hales and so many of his contemporaries, the 22-year-old Somerset opener, who made his maiden first-class century last summer with Trescothick batting at the other end, is building his game around the age-old premise that if you can bat for long enough in support of those around you the runs will probably come anyway, as they did here in a second career century that was vital to Somerset’s cause.Flower, the former England head coach, watched Abell and Trescothick bat together earlier this season and though Abell was out cheaply on that occasion Flower has commented since that he thought both looked like international batsmen, which was quite a compliment to pay a young player in the infancy of his career.Not that the former Taunton School pupil would not like to be Hales – to a degree anyway. “Don’t get me wrong,” he said, acknowledging that his white-ball form has been mixed. “I’d love to expand my game and play across all formats.”But at the moment I have my limitations as a batsman and you have to play around those and play to your strengths, which in my case I suppose is my temperament. I’m clear about my role in the side, which is to bat as long as I can and play the anchor role, with good stroke-players around me in the side.”I saw those comments from Andy Flower and when you hear praise like that it is flattering, but I’m trying to keep my feet firmly on the ground.”I have struggled a bit this season and I rode my luck a bit today against some very disciplined bowling, so it meant a lot to get to a hundred.”He is modest as well as patient. As a stroke-maker, is better than he gives himself credit for, as the crowd at Edgbaston witnessed in an innings that was critical in holding Somerset together after Chris Rogers decided to go for the optional coin toss and was rewarded with the chance to bat first.Rogers fell without scoring, Trescothick for 12 and when James Hildreth, who had looked in good fettle, was brilliantly caught by Sam Hain at short leg, Abell found himself carrying a heavy responsibility to ensure that Warwickshire, for whom Keith Barker bowled particularly well, did not take a potentially decisive grip on the contest within the first couple of sessions.He responded impressively, rarely offering any suggestion that his calm demeanour might desert him, even though he felt he benefited from some streaky runs. Twice last season he carried his bat, for 76 out of 200 against Nottinghamshire at Taunton and for 88 from 170 against Warwickshire here, and he looked of a mind to do something similar this time, although when bad balls asked to be hit, he gave them the treatment. He pulled a short ball from Boyd Rankin for a very early six and passed 50 while striking three fours in a row off Rikki Clarke.His hundred came courtesy of an all-run four to a sweep off Jeetan Patel to add to 11 fours off the bat, as well as that six, in reaching the milestone off 175 balls.Somerset’s total of 295 was not all down to Abell. Three down for 84 at lunch and 117 for 4 soon afterwards when Jim Allenby edged Barker to gully, they owed a good deal too to the experience of Peter Trego, who shared the burden in a partnership of 110 for the fifth wicket and looked on for a hundred of his own before Chris Woakes had him leg before on 94.Abell, who spent his winter playing grade cricket in Perth after passing up the chance to go to France as part of his Exeter University degree course, fell to the medium pace of Jonathan Trott of all people, attempting to work the ball to leg. Trott finished with 2 for 26, the first time he has taken two wickets in a Championship innings since 2010.Trott found himself batting at the close as Warwickshire lost two quick wickets, placing a little more pressure on Ian Bell, who could bat himself back into England contention with some runs on day two, although his absence from the field for the final session, a precautionary rest after tweaking a hamstring in the field, is a slight concern.