TUNBRIDGE WELLS

(day three of four): Somerset won toss

Somerset 208 & 335; Kent 273 & 134-5

Lunch

Marcus Trescothick reached his second, first-class hundred of the season, and his 16th for Somerset, as he and Ian Blackwell dominated the morning session at the Nevill Ground.

By the interval Trescothick and Blackwell had put on an unbroken 91 for the 6th wicket as the Somerset overall lead went above 200.

Trescothick, who resumed on 71 with Somerset 157/2, saw Steffan Jones, the night-watchman, depart in the third over, dragging a ball from James Tredwell to midwicket.

Three balls later Tredwell, the off-spinner, turned one through James Hildreth's gate to bowl him off stump.

Zander de Bruyn did not last long either, edging behind against Robbie Joseph, but Somerset enjoyed a major stroke of good fortune when Blackwell, on 0, was dropped by a diving Rob Key at midwicket after miss-pulling Joseph.

Trescothick reached his century soon afterwards, from 187 balls and with a six and 13 fours, and he and Blackwell then progresses serenely through the rest of the session to put Kent further on the back foot.

Tea

The Trescothick-Blackwell alliance had produced 107 runs in 26 overs before Kent got the breakthrough they badly needed seven overs after lunch.

It was the second new ball, taken immediately at the 80-over mark, which made the difference as Blackwell, on 61, fenced at a ball from Robbie Joseph which bounced a little bit more than he expected and edged to second slip.

Three overs later, Trescothick's fine innings ended as Ryan McLaren swung one back into him to win an lbw appeal. Trescothick had made 139, taking his season's Championship run tally to 503 at an average of 71.85.

Pete Trego offered some further late-order resistance, but ran out of partners on 29 as both Ben Phillips and Charl Willoughby fell to successive balls from Yasir Arafat after Craig Kieswetter had also gone cheaply to McLaren.

In nine overs' batting before tea, Kent openers, Rob Key and Joe Denly, batted beautifully to take 41 runs off the win target of 271.

Close

Kent's promising opening partnership, however, ended shortly after tea when Key was taken at second slip for 26.

That triggered a mini-collapse, which also claimed the wickets of James Tredwell, for three, and Martin van Jaarsveld, caught at extra cover for the second time in the match for just four.

Denly and Darren Stevens took the score on from 67-3 to 103 when Stevens - who had just hit Steffan Jones for three glorious fours in an over - edged the same bowler to first slip on 17.

Justin Kemp also fell before the close, again held by Neil Edwards at first slip, this time off Willoughby, but Geraint Jones did manage to keep Denly company until the day's end. Denly remained at 64 not out and the match hangs in the balance.

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