TAUNTON (day two of four): Sussex won toss

Somerset 557-8 dec Sussex 19-1 (4 overs) C Hopkinson 2, M Yardy 17

Lunch

Overnight rain persisted into the morning, enabling a very early decision to be made that no play would be possible before lunch, leaving Somerset a run short of maximum batting points.

The home top order have all prospered on a typically flat Taunton wicket, and although he survived a slip chance on 18 James Hildreth quietly continued to stress his qualifications for higher things.

Tea

Although the conditions remained murky play began at 2.30pm, with 37 overs of the day lost. James Hildreth and Zander de Bruyn built on their stand, worth 86 overnight, and it had reached 131 before De Bruyn chopped Luke Wright on to his stumps for 62.

Hildreth, after making a commanding 158, skied off-spinner Olly Rayner carelessly to midwicket where Michael Yardy took a swirling catch and Ian Blackwell drove loosely at Jason Lewry on 17.

Peter Trego finished the session with six, four and six at Rayner's expense, leaving Somerset in a secure position.

Close

A flurry of 39 runs in 21 balls by Somerset, Ben Phillips weighing in with a six and two fours from his three scoring shots, enabled Somerset to ask Sussex to make 408 to avoid the follow-on, and in theory there were 24 overs remaining. Only four were bowled before Sussex accepted the light, time for Chris Nash to snick Charl Willoughby to Justin Langer at fourth slip from the fourth ball of the innings.