TO THEIR own surprise, perhaps, Somerset are luxuriating in an advantageous position. They took the last seven Surrey wickets for 95 runs, despite there being less movement through the air than on the first day, and extended their lead after tea.

There was one technically excellent innings when Surrey batted, an unbeaten 87 by Mark Ramprakash, and one of bravado by Alistair Brown, who struck 63 off 70 balls. Otherwise seam predominated.

Andrew Caddick bowled manfully once more, his 23 overs including 12 in succession after lunch, with three wickets his reward. Watching Ramprakash attempting to counter his steep, short-of-a-length bounce, once driving him for six over long-off, made for quite a spectacle. Brown’s first 50 runs included 48 in fours, but Caddick snared him in the end.

Charl Willoughby, occasionally bringing the ball back into the batsman from left-arm over the wicket, finished with four wickets and three lower-order batsmen were out first ball. Ramprakash, whose innings included 17 fours and that wonderfully timed six, unwisely took a single off the initial ball of what turned out to be the last over of the innings, Peter Trego taking the remaining two wickets.

Somerset had a lead of 76 and although Neil Saker took his first championship wickets for nearly three years, including two in two balls, a half- century by Matthew Wood and some bold strokes by Cameron White, despite having dislocated a finger in the field, propelled them onwards.