Somerset tail thwarts Middlesex bowlers

Close, day one: Somerset 332-8 v Middlesex

Neil Dexter claimed three wickets but Middlesex were frustrated by a late century stand on the first day at Lord’s.

Former England opener Marcus Trescothick and Chris Jones both made half centuries at the top of the order as the pacemen struggled initially.

Somerset then slumped from 101-1 at lunch to 211-7 just after tea, with Dexter’s victims including discarded England batsman Nick Compton.

But the visitors put on 107 for the eighth wicket, with tailender Piyush Chawla finishing the day unbeaten on 58, to take Somerset to 332-8.

Chris Rogers made his long-awaited return to the Middlesex side, just three days after the final Ashes Test at the Oval.

He was given time off from the middle though after Somerset won the toss and batted, with Trescothick (64) and Jones (58) going along nicely in the morning after Compton fell to Dexter.

After lunch, Tim Murtagh trapped Trescothick lbw while Dexter accounted for James Hildreth and Jones to leave Somerset on 178-4.

The attacking Craig Kieswetter scored 31 from 49 deliveries, including one four and a six, before being bowled by Ravi Patel, who then had Craig Meschede stumped without scoring.

The evening session also began with Middlesex in the ascendancy as Ollie Rayner had Lewis Gregory caught at short leg but Somerset wrested back the initiative with a superb flurry of runs.

Alex Barrow, batting at six, went on to score 65 but he was the support act for leg-spinner Chawla, who hit seven fours and two sixes as they shared a century partnership.

It took 12 overs of the new ball to finally break the pair apart as Gareth Berg had Barrow lbw late in the day, and Middlesex will be keen to polish off the tail quickly on Thursday.

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