Surrey v Somerset
1925-08-17
On Monday 17 August 1925 at Taunton, the 42-year-old Jack Hobbs cut a Jim Bridges short ball for four to reach 101 — his 126th first-class century, equalling W.G. Grace's career record. The next morning he made another, 101 not out, and the 'Master' had passed the figure that had defined English batting since 1895.
Middlesex, Somerset
1907-05-22
Albert Trott is the only batsman to clear the Lord's pavilion (off Monty Noble, 31 July 1899) and one of only two men to take two hat-tricks in a single first-class innings — both in his benefit match v Somerset at Lord's on 22 May 1907. Penniless and ill, he killed himself on 30 July 1914, the day before the 15th anniversary of his Lord's six.
Surrey v Somerset
1899-05-29
From 29 to 31 May 1899, Surrey's 41-year-old opener Bobby Abel batted across most of two days at The Oval to score 357 not out against Somerset, carrying his bat through Surrey's innings of 811. It remains, more than 125 years later, Surrey's highest individual score and the highest by anyone carrying their bat in first-class cricket. Surrey won by an innings and 379.
Gloucestershire v Somerset
1895-05-17
On 17 May 1895, in his 47th year, W.G. Grace became the first cricketer to score 100 first-class hundreds, raising the milestone in a Championship match against Somerset at Bristol. He carried on to 288 — his ninth-highest career score — and when he reached 200 the home crowd brought champagne onto the field for him to toast himself at the wicket. It was the centrepiece of an 'Indian Summer' that produced 1,016 runs in May alone.
Lancashire v Somerset
1895-07-15
On 15-16 July 1895, the 23-year-old Archie MacLaren batted across two days at Taunton to score 424 — the first quadruple century in first-class cricket history and the highest individual first-class score the game had seen. He surpassed W.G. Grace's 1876 mark of 344, batted 470 minutes, hit 62 fours and a six, and held the world record for 28 years until Bill Ponsford's 429 in 1923. The score remained the highest in English first-class cricket until 1994.