'We are going to have to fight very hard for the win' says Shine

Somerset were once again indebted to their pacemen at Taunton today where they bowled out the remaining Durham batsmen cheaply to dismiss the visitors for 180 and will start the final day requiring 120 runs for victory with 8 wickets remaining.

After a lengthy delay that was caused by heavy rainfall at Taunton the third day's play eventually got underway at 4.30pm, but when it started the Somerset bowlers made short work of dismissing the Durham tail

Nixon McLean claimed the first wicket in the opening over when he bowled Danny Law without further addition to his overnight total.

Three overs later Richard Johnson accounted for Andrew Pratt, who was caught by Mike Burns at mid off, and in the next over McLean struck again when Nicky Phillips edged a catch to Keith Dutch at second slip.

Johnson hit the jackpot once more for the Cidermen when Nicky Killeen gave a simple catch Rob Turner, and it was the wicket-keeper who accounted for last man Steve Harmison , taking the catch this time off Simon Francis.

The visitors lost their remaining five wickets for the addition of just 27 runs in the space of 8.4 overs and were all out for 180, leaving Somerset requiring 195 runs for victory.

Johnson was yet again the pick of the Somerset bowlers ending with figures of 4 for 52 from his 19 overs to give him a match return of 9 for 116. McLean ended with 3 for 50 from his 14 over spell whilst Francis had 3 for 41 from 12.4 overs.

Somerset set off towards their target at a rate of knots, with Marcus Trescothick once again displaying the kind of form that the diehards at Taunton have come to expect from him.

The left hander cut and drove almost at will, but after scoring three fours in one over from Killeen, that brought up his teams 50, he was caught by wicket-keeper Andy Pratt off the bowling of Harmison. Trescothick plundered all of his 28 runs in boundaries.

Somerset skipper Mike Burns remained a short time in the middle before he became a second victim for Killeen, at which point the Cidermen appeared to be in trouble at 54 for 2. However Peter Bowler ( 30 ) and Jamie Cox ( 8 ) then safely navigated their side home through the remaining eleven overs and by close had taken the score onto 75 for 2 wickets.

In the morning the Cidermen will be hoping that the weather is kind and that the overnight pair can remain at the wicket long enough to build on their partnership and take them well on the way towards their first championship victory of the new season.

At the end of the day Jamie Cox told me: "This has been a really good game of cricket, and we have still got to get a few runs to get and they have still go to get a few more wickets, so it is still very much in the balance. It's a good surface to bat on so you would think that we would get them, but after our recent experience against Gloucestershire we're not taking anything for granted."

Coach Kevin Shine said: "There is still a lot of work for us to do. I am happy with the way that we bowled and fielded, and at the moment you would say that we are in the favourites seat. However there is still a lot to do and in the morning we are going to have to fight very hard for the win."