TAUNTON (day one of four): Sussex won toss

Somerset 399-3 (J.C. Hildreth 127 not out, N.J. Edwards 99, M.E. Trescothick 74, J.L. Langer 44) v Sussex

Lunch

Chris Adams, the Sussex captain who was without Mushtaq Ahmed, his match-winning Pakistani leg spinner, for a second time in the championship this summer, still decided to put Somerset in to bat upon winning the toss - inflouenced, no doubt, by the success of James Tomlinson, who took eight for 46 for Hampshire a week ago on this ground.

Alas for him, there was scant swing or movement off the pitch and Marcus Trescothick and Neil Edwards reached 102 without loss at lunch with scant difficulty. Sussex gave a first-class debut to Corey Collymore, the former West Indies fast bowler, who worked up some pace but without joy. Edwards, like Trescothick a left hander, reached his half century in the last over before lunch off 78 balls with eight fours. Trescothick drove and ran the ball to third man with customary expertise.

Tea

Neil Edwards, who was out three times in the 'nineties last year, was run out for 99 this afternoon when he went down the pitch to Olly Rayner, missed the ball and could not get back in time before Chris Adams threw his stumps down from slip. He faced 134 balls and struck 15 fours. Marcus Trescothick had been first to go, caught at the wicket when driving at a ball not quite up to him for the shot. He and Edwards put on 151 in 43 overs. James Hildreth was swiftly into his stride and reached a half century just before tea, off 72 balls with six fours. Sussex were reliant on the medium pace of Robin Martin-Jenkins and the off spin of Rayner to stem the quick scoring on a pitch which was giving scant help to any bowler.

Close

James Hildreth finished the day unbeaten on 127, his second century of the season, the fluent innings of a batsman seeing the ball well, off 139 balls with ten fours and two sixes, and it was an innings which propelled Somerset into potentially a match-winning position over Sussex. Jack Birkenshaw, the ECB pitch inspector, left before the close of play, having found little awry with the conditions. Hildreth was well supported after tea by Zander de Bruyn, the Kolpak signing from South Africa, after Justin Langer, who demoted himself a place in the batting order, had gone for 44, making to cut Ollie Rayner, the off spinner. Sussex took the new ball but to no avail and missed the leg spin of Mushtaq Ahmed all day. Hildreth, whose tenth first-class century this was, had made by the close.