TAUNTON

(Day three of four, Surrey won toss)

Surrey 47-1 (Walters 34 not out, Ramprakash 11 not out, 20.2 overs)

Somerset 401-3 declared

Lunch

Marcus Trescothick neared a third hundred of the season after surviving a sharp return catch to Saqlain Mushtaq on 56 as Somerset capitalised on improved weather to begin accumulating batting points. With Zander de Bruyn playing equally solidly off either foot, Surrey again looked off the pace.

Jade Dernbach claimed the only wicket of the session when Usman Afzaal made ground to hold a miscued hook by Justin Langer (72 from 85 balls) and Afzaal's occasional slow left arm was in the attack not long afterwards, in tandem with Saqlain, after erratic bowling by the seamers on a slow pitch.

Tea

Marcus Trescothick moved from 100 to 150 in 31 balls as Somerset tried to make up for lost time after more rain which lopped 18 overs off play. Mark Ramprakash, the Surrey captain, posted nine fielders on the boundary in an attempt to contain the former England opener, who eventually paddled to short fine leg for 158.

Trescothick and Zander de Bruyn, who also hit a third Championship hundred of the season, added 100 in 45 minutes following the delay with Pedro Collins bearing the brunt of the assault in an over costing 24 runs. De Bruyn reached three figures from 160 balls but a leading edge accounted for James Hildreth on the stroke of tea.

Close

Justin Langer signalled his intention to press hard for victory by declaring as soon as Somerset secured maximum batting points, reducing the margin between them and Durham, the Championship leaders, to six points. That the fifth point was conceded to a Scott Newman misfield summed up Surrey's bedraggled state.

The situation worsened for Newman when Andrew Caddick, having agreed an extension to his contract to take in next season, won an lbw decision from George Sharp, the umpire. Somerset showed more urgency in the field and Charl Willoughby swung the new ball, but Stewart Walters and Ramprakash survived against attacking fields.