Taunton

(Day three of four, Hampshire won toss)

Somerset 559-5 (J.L. Langer 188, M.E. Trescothick 151, Z. de Bruyn 75 not out, N. J. Edwards 50) and 126 (J.A. Tomlinson 8-46) Hampshire 359 (J.C. Crawley 104, K.P. Pietersen 100, M. Lumb 76)

Lunch

Marcus Trescothick, driving and pulling handsomely, reached his first first-class century of the season before lunch off 194 balls with 14 fours and a six. He promptly pulled a second six into the netting errected in the morning to protect builders working on the ground redevelopment.

He and Justin Langer, who concentrated fiercely throughout this session, had put on an unbroken 198 by the interval, prompting Jimmy Adams, Hampshire's captain, to bring on Kevin Pietersen's off spin just before lunch. He spun the ball surprisingly sharply, giving Langer cause to believe Somerset could yet win this match on the fourth day through the leg spin of Michael Munday.

The captain, who was 14 runs short of a century, was all too aware, though, that his side needed to build throughout the afternoon on their 48-run lead.

Tea

Justin Langer, who was out for a duck in the first innings, reached 150 off 232 balls with 18 fours just before tea as he sought to build up a sizeable lead on a pitch taking some spin.

The Australian, concentrating resolutely and giving not a semblance of a chance, put on 272 with Marcus Trescothick, who was dropped twice in his excellent innings of 151, which included 20 fours and two sixes.

He was finally caught down the leg side by Tom Burrows, the stand-in wicketkeeper, flicking at David Griffiths. Somerset were 122 ahead at this point and, although James Hildreth was soon yorked, at tea they were in a position to contemplate a declaration in the morning. James Tomlinson, who took eight wickets in Somerset's first innings, found a flatter pitch an altogether different proposition.

Close

Justin Langer finshed 12 runs short of the 11th double century of his career, his 188 including 21 fours and two sixes and coming off 271 balls. What with that, Marcus Trescothick's 151 and an unbeaten innings of 75 by Zander de Bruyn that included eight fours, Somerset finished the third day with a lead of 326 and a quandry for Langer: when to declare.

The manner in which de Bruyn, the Kolpak all rounder in his first season with Somerset, collected his runs in the final session suggested that the pitch was becoming flatter all the while and that, without Andy Caddick, bowling out Hampshire would be problematical. James Tomlinson did collect the wicket of Ian Blackwell in addition to that of James Hildreth before tea, but his figures of two for 110 were a far cry from his eight for 46 on the first day.

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