SEAN Dickson carried his bat for Somerset on Day Two of their match against Essex this week.

It was the first a Somerset opener did so since Tom Lammonby against Worcestershire in 2020.

Dickson scored an unbeaten 82 – comfortably his best since arriving from Durham.

After the knock, Dickson said: “It is always starting the season off like I did and when moving clubs it is tough to come off an average of about nine.

“Having the opportunity to showcase what I can do means it is a good day for me. Obviously it was tough for the other lads but hopefully we can come back and rectify it.

“It was a lot of hard work; it wasn’t easy. It was just nice to contribute and show the boys what I’m made of.

“It is tough to say [about the pitch]. There’s some tired bodies and tired minds. It is a tough schedule and a tough fixture. We are professionals and need to get our heads down and crack on. Credit to them they bowled well up front, the two in the first over helped, and then Harmer bowled well and did his thing here at Essex and spins it around corners.

“I’m a believe that when you get a team under the pump you dig them under the ground even more, and put us into bat. I get why they’ve done it but it is whether or not it is the right call. It kind of opens the door for us to chase down if we bowl well tomorrow.”