A THIRD-wicket partnership of 99 between Dinesh Mongia and Hylton Ackerman had seemed to stave off the threat of defeat for Leicestershire and put the onus of winning back on to Somerset. The host team responded after a short break for bad light. First Mongia shuffled across his stumps to fall leg-before to Richard Johnson, then Ackerman was caught behind off Charl Willoughby.

Having earlier hit their way to a first-innings lead of 60, Andrew Caddick and Willoughby had probed menacingly with the new ball. Darren Maddy and John Maunders were dismissed, as Leicestershire slipped to 14 for two.

Potentially it was the match-winning moment for Somerset but Mongia and Ackerman, aware of the session’s importance, declined to take any risks. Caddick and Willoughby repeatedly beat the outside edge but that was all. Ian Blackwell, the Somerset captain, had left the field for a scan on an injured shoulder earlier in the day, and in his absence, the side began to drift.

The late brace of wickets restored some optimism for the chance of victory on the final day. Earlier, Arul Suppiah crept towards a century for Somerset with typical caution, occasionally unleashing his classical straight drive. As he entered the 90s, his nerves began to show for the first time. On 99 he twice tried a quick single but was sent back by Carl Gazzard. Then, just beforem lunch, he slapped the ball straight back into Claude Henderson’s hands.

Johnson and Gazzard carried Somerset to first-innings parity with some distinctly less orthodox strokes. Johnson got off the mark with a lofted pull for four off Steven Clark, who was making his debut, and continued with some similarly violent on drives.

When Gazzard was caught behind as he threw the bat at a wide ball, he became Clark’s first championship victim. Caddick attempted to out-hit Johnson with a six over mid-on. The pair added 54 for the ninth wicket before falling to the new ball.