Overnight rain persisted frustratingly into the morning and it was not long before any hope of play before lunch was abandoned. Sussex must already have been rueing their decision to insert Somerset, perhaps influenced by the home side's dismissal by Hampshire for 126 a week earlier, on a damp pitch that soon settled down. When play was possible at 2.30pm, Somerset were on 399 for three and all their top order had prospered. James Hildreth, who must be beginning to attract the attention of Geoff Miller, the national selector, built on his overnight 127 in partnership with Zander de Bruyn and they withstood the early attack of Robin Martin-Jenkins and Corey Collymore, the recent Sussex recruit.

It was Luke Wright, on as a change bowler, who ended a 131-run partnership, persuading De Bruyn to chop on to his stumps, after which Hildreth brought up a serene 150. Less serene was his dismissal, a swirling skyer off Ollie Rayner that Mike Yardy did well to hunt down at mid-wicket. Ian Blackwell, although threatening, soon swung loosely at Jason Lewry, but Peter Trego went into tea with a flourish, hitting Rayner for six, four and six.

Somerset were clearly under orders to hasten the declaration and Trego hit a huge six into the bare concrete on the Coal Orchard side, busily under development, before hitting Robin Martin-Jenkins's slower ball low to Wright at cover. Ben Phillips, fit again after missing a season because of a chest injury, contributed three scoring shots - six, four and four - before Craig Kieswetter skyed Martin-Jenkins to Yardy at extra cover. The 21 balls after the tea interval had produced 39 runs and Somerset were in a position to ask Sussex to score 408 to avoid the follow-on when Justin Langer, the captain, beckoned in the batsmen.

In theory, there were 24 overs remaining, but the sky was leaden. There was time for Charl Willoughby to slant the fourth ball of Sussex's innings across Chris Nash, whose bemused prod carried to a rolling Langer at first slip.

Scoreboard

Somerset: First Innings (overnight 399-3)

J C Hildreth c Yardy b Rayner 158

Z de Bruyn b Wright 62

I D Blackwell b Lewry 17

P D Trego c Wright b Martin-Jenkins 41

†C Kieswetter c Yardy b Martin-Jenkins 29

B J Phillips not out 14

Extras (b 8, lb 4, w 1, nb 6) 19

Total (8 wkts dec, 128.3 overs) 557

P S Jones and C M Willoughby did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-151, 2-197, 3-313, 4-444, 5-467, 6-488, 7-534, 8-557.

Bowling: Lewry 20-2-65-1; Collymore 31-7-89-1; Wright 23-1-115-1; Martin-Jenkins 21.3-1-101-2; Rayner 23-3-115-2; Yardy 8-0-44-0; Hopkinson 2-0-16-0.

Sussex: First Innings

C D Nash c Langer b Willoughby 0

C D Hopkinson not out 2

M H Yardy not out 17

Total (1 wkt, 4 overs) 19

M W Goodwin, *C J Adams, M J Prior, L J Wright, R S C Martin-Jenkins, O P Rayner, J D Lewry and C D Collymore to bat.

Fall of wicket: 1-0.

Bowling: Willoughby 2-0-3-1; Jones 2-0-16-0.

Umpires: J H Evans and P Willey.