Stuart Broad wrecks Somerset top order

Somerset 272 and 120 for 6 v Nottinghamshire 250
Scorecard

If Stuart Broad's first day here was a disappointment, the second certainly was not, even though the England allrounder added to a string of low scores when he was dismissed for just one run in Nottinghamshire's 250 all out.

It was what happened next, or at least only a little while later, that illuminated this ground as brilliantly as the spring sunshine.

Broad, whose 19 overs on Wednesday had cost 79 runs, even though they brought him three wickets, responded with a performance fired up by the raw hostility on which he thrives, tearing the heart out of Somerset's batting with five wickets in the space of 27 deliveries.

At the fierce height of his spell, the 23-year-old took three in seven, culminating in an extraordinary roughing-up of wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter, who will be a team-mate in England's World Twenty20 line-up.

Broad, who had dismissed Arul Suppiah with a short delivery that the opener could only fend to Andre Adams at third slip, struck twice in two balls to remove James Hildreth and Zander de Bruyn, pinning the former in the crease before Adams held an excellent low catch to snare the de Bruyn.

Those wickets came with the last two balls of Broad's fifth over. When he began his sixth, Kieswetter was the man in the spotlight. He stepped away from Broad's first hat-trick attempt, apparently distracted by something in his eyeline. When he settled again, he was struck on the pads, although it was clear the ball was drifting to the leg side and Broad cut short his appeal.

But then came more of the short stuff and Kieswetter was immediately in trouble, taking a bang on the side of the helmet, behind his left ear, that required play to halt for a few moments with the physio in attendance.

He recovered to continue but was clearly unsettled. He swayed backwards as Broad again hit the deck hard, but while he succeeded in getting his head out of the firing line, he was not so lucky with the bat, which deflected the ball into the gloves of Chris Read behind the stumps.

With that, Somerset were 33 for 5, their lead a mere 55. More trouble was to follow as Broad claimed his fifth success, Samit Patel at short leg taking a splendid catch, thrusting an arm above his head to catch the ball on the full as Peter Trego went for the pull.

At 43 for 6 Nottinghamshire were sensing something extraordinary. Fortunately for Somerset, however, their captain, Marcus Trescothick, escaped the carnage - he was put down on 18 by ex-colleague Neil Edwards at second slip off Adams with his side still reeling at 33 for 6 - and the close-of-play card showed a rather less painful 120 for 6.

Trescothick was on 63 and with the help of Damien Wright's 37 off 31 balls as Broad took his sweater and Nottinghamshire's bowling not surprisingly lost a little venom, Somerset have reached a position from which they might just leave Nottinghamshire with a tricky last-innings target.

Earlier in the day, what had been unfolding as a disappointing Nottinghamshire effort with the bat was rescued by Paul Franks, whose 61 signalled a continuation of what may be a season of rehabilitation for the 31-year-old allrounder.

Two down overnight, the home side had seen Mark Wagh and Samit Patel get in only to get out, Wagh losing his off stump to David Stiff before Patel, having seemingly found his timing quickly, fell into a trap set for him by driving a wide ball from Charl Willoughby in the air to short extra.

Ali Brown misjudged one from Alfonso Thomas that jagged back, Read was caught in the crease by Trego and Broad, who has not managed to get to 30 in any of his last 18 innings, edged Willoughby to second slip.

Hashim Amla showed his class, picking up 11 boundaries before following a ball from Wright to nudge a catch to Kieswetter, but it was Franks, charged with becoming Nottinghamshire's dependable allrounder now that Mark Ealham has retired, whose 97-ball innings, also containing 11 fours, might yet be the vital one.