Trego's aggression boosts Somerset

Nottinghamshire 46 for 2 (Willoughby 2-21) trail Somerset 252 (Trego 86, Shreck 3-68, Pattinson 3-69) by 206 runs
Scorecard

	Peter Trego showed his batting skills to haul Nottinghamshire's first innings to 252 © Getty Images

Somerset fought back well on the second day against Nottinghamshire, with their lower order batting well to boost the total very usefully, and then seizing two of the home side's wickets before the close. Peter Trego with the bat and Charl Willoughby with the ball were the main contributors, and they will only hope that the weather will not condemn their efforts to futility.

Somerset could well feel pleased with their morning's work. Resuming at 143 for 7, they soon lost Alfonso Thomas, beaten by a ball moving in and trapping him lbw, for 15. But, with Andy Caddick at the wicket, Peter Trego now began to open up. He calmed down a little when he found Caddick capable of giving him excellent support, but kept the score moving to the extent that he reached his 50, with a hook off Charlie Shreck for four, in 71 balls.

He looked a very capable batsman as he approached three figures, a rare achievement by a batsman at Trent Bridge these days, but he was finally very well caught by deep midwicket running round, as he miscued a slog-sweep off Graeme Swann. The pair had added 90 for the ninth wicket, almost double the next-best stand of the innings. Swann was now officially installed in this match after being released from the international at Cardiff yesterday morning.

Last man Charl Willoughy is a rare creature, a left-handed batsman who is also a walking wicket. Caddick did his best to pile on the runs, and was unbeaten with 35 when Willoughby hit across the line and was bowled by Swann without scoring. The innings ended at 252, much better than had appeared likely overnight.

The Nottinghamshire openers, Will Jefferson and Bilal Shafayat, could not have been thrilled at having to face two overs before lunch, but they survived. Unfortunately, during the lunch interval, a light drizzle started, and persisted for about two hours. It never became heavy, but once it stopped it took another two hours before play restarted, a fact that does not speak well of the drainage on this ground. Play finally begun again at 5 pm with 18 overs required to complete the day, mostly in sunshine.

Nottinghamshire began slowly before Jefferson had a temporary burst of scoring strokes that took him into double figures. Somerset claimed a catch from Shafayat, when on 3, off Caddick at short extra cover, but umpire Mike Harris disagreed. The two have rarely looked convincing as an opening pair, though, and Shafayat gave a hard chance to gully when he had 16.

Jefferson was the man to go, however, poking outside the off stump and being caught at the wicket off Willoughby for 21 out of a stand of 40. This was the first delivery to be bowled after a very lengthy hold-up for the usual ball-change. In the same over, without addition, the nightwatchman Andre Adams fell to a low gully catch/

They finished the day at 46 for 2, with the match appearing to be evenly balanced. Unfortunately, if the dire weather forecast for tomorrow proves correct, the chances of a result in this crucial match are slim and, given the reluctance of the ground to dry out after light drizzle today, the chances of any further play at all may be doubtful.