Cox century defies Worcestershire tag

The assumption that Worcestershire will be the whipping boys of 2015 might have to be revised. After two days of impressive cricket from the yo-yo side of the County Championship, it is Somerset who face the prospect of a third consecutive defeat.

Following Charlie Morris's emphatic performance with the ball on Sunday, Worcestershire's young batsmen flexed their muscles on the second day. Ben Cox, the 23-year-old wicketkeeper, completed his second first-class hundred, and Joe Leach, the 24-year-old allrounder, narrowly failed to match him. Worcestershire missed a fifth batting bonus point, agonisingly by just two runs, but that was a minor disappointment next to a handsome first-innings lead.

Somerset may be performing below their true level. Their seam attack, now that Alfonso Thomas is back to add his wiles to the potential of Lewis Gregory and the Overton twins, is decent enough, yet the batting is a worry. Nick Compton and Alviro Petersen have gone since the end of last season and Craig Kieswetter looks no nearer coming back from his horrific eye injury.

Yet in this match their bowling has been found wanting. The pitch has become easier to bat on but Somerset's attack looked ragged at times, leaking runs far too readily, notably with the second new ball.

Lewis Gregory, called up for Friday's one-day international against Ireland, went at more than four runs per over, as did Craig Overton, the allrounder of the twins, who had to be withdrawn after conceding 31 in two overs as Leach caught the easy-going mood of the holiday crowd. Mick Newell, on the ground in his England selector's hat, might have been better coming the day before when Morris looked sharp in taking 5 for 71.

Cox went past his previous best of 104 by pulling Gregory for six, having gone to a hundred with an identically boisterous flourish against Thomas. He fell two balls after the second of those two shots, batting back a return catch to Gregory, who would have taken only small consolation. It had been a lovely innings to watch, one that had started with two boundaries off Peter Trego to the first balls he faced and continued in the same confident manner. His driving was an impressive feature.

Alex Gidman, having completed his first fifty since moving from Gloucestershire in the winter, may well think he missed an opportunity when he cut a ball from Overton straight to backward point for 78. It took a magnificent catch, plucked out of the air over his head by the 5ft 7ins Johann Myburgh, to send him on his way but it was a careless shot nonetheless.

Leach's disappointment was the greater. Having matched Cox for boundaries in another strong, aggressive performance, he was on 95 when he cut a ball from Thomas and was caught at slip. The 168 runs he and Cox added for the seventh wicket was a county record against Somerset. Worcestershire, all out just before the close, will hope that rain forecast overnight does not work against them.