Marcus Trescothick holds the key to the destination of this tight contest, resuming this morning on 71 after featuring in a stand of 111 with Justin Langer - by some distance the highest of the match - that completed a determined fightback by Somerset yesterday.

Kent will feel they missed an opportunity to take control of the game, being bowled out for 273 after manoeuvring themselves into a position, just before lunchtime, of some strength at 175 for four. One of those wickets to fall, moreover, was that of Martin Saggers, the nightwatchman, who resisted for 35 minutes after Kent had resumed on 85 for three.

Perhaps the turning point of the match came when Darren Stevens, after a blissful 46 from 44 balls, attempted to whip a straight ball from Steffan Jones through the on side and missed. No one on the first two days, Trescothick and Langer included, approached the freedom of expression and pure timing that Stevens displayed while hitting nine boundaries all around the wicket.

Martin van Jaarsveld, who laboured for 30 in the morning session, did open out in mid-afternoon but on 95 he disappointed the well-populated marquees by slapping a slower ball from Peter Trego to extra cover.

There was more disappointment for the home crowd with Justin Kemp falling leg-before to his twelfth ball, Geraint Jones being given out pushing well forward and Yasir Arafat and Ryan McLaren perishing to loose strokes. A lead of 65 was at least half of what it should have been on a largely benign surface and, after Neil Edwards edged to gully, Trescothick and Langer batted with purpose but also with a caution that the situation demanded. It was a combination whichthat Kent's much-vaunted lower middle-order could not match.

Scoreboard

Somerset: First Innings 208 (R McLaren 5 for 31, R H Joseph 4 for 67)
Second Innings
M E Trescothick not out 71
N J Edwards c Tredwell b McLaren 16
*J L Langer st Jones b Tredwell 42
P S Jones not out 15
Extras (b 6, lb 1, w 4, nb 2) 13
Total (2 wkts, 43 overs) 157

Fall of wickets: 1-25, 2-136.

Bowling: Saggers 7-1-28-0; Arafat 10-2-31-0; McLaren 7-1-25-1; Joseph 11-1-41-0; Tredwell 8-2-25-1.

Kent: First Innings (overnight 85-3)
M van Jaarsveld c De Bruyn b Trego 95
M J Saggers b Trego 8
D I Stevens lbw b Jones 46
J M Kemp lbw b Phillips 11
G O Jones lbw b De Bruyn 18
R McLaren c Hildreth b Willoughby 12
Yasir Arafat c Blackwell b Willoughby 3
R H Joseph not out 0
Extras (b 12, lb 3, w 2, nb 6) 23
Total (88.1 overs) 273

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-31, 3-78, 4-121, 5-175, 6-188, 7-230, 8-265, 9-272.

Bowling: Willoughby 25.1-6-91-3; Phillips 16-6-22-1; Trego 22-5-52-4; Jones 19-3-69-1; De Bruyn 6-1-24-1.

Umpires: R J Bailey and B Leadbeater.