Tom Abell digs deep for 130 to put pressure on Yorkshire

Tom Abell's meticulous 19th first class century put Somerset in a strong position on the second day of the Rothesay County Championship Division One game with Yorkshire at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.

The 31-year-old former club captain batted for more than five hours to score 130, off 227 balls, with 16 fours, sharing a fifth-wicket stand of 143 with Lewis Goldsworthy, who made 65, as the home side advanced their first innings score from an overnight 155 for 3 to 391 for 6 before bad light ended play 13.3 overs early.

With the pitch showing signs of taking spin, Somerset look to have a challenging total. But showers are forecast throughout the final two days and a draw looks the most likely outcome.

Yorkshire's only success of the morning session came as early as the third ball, which saw James Rew edge Jack White through to wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow without having added to his overnight score of 54.

The visiting seamers gave little away, bowling straight and full to force a watchful approach from Abell and Goldsworthy, who were initially content to defend anything on the stumps.

Only 25 runs were scored off the first 15 overs, eight of them coming from two sweetly-timed cover driven boundaries from Goldsworthy in successive overs off first George Hill and then Jordan Thompson.

Yorkshire skipper Bairstow elected to switch to spin, introducing Dan Moriarty from the River End. The left-armer was quickly able to extract turn from the dry surface, but that didn't stop Abell breaking loose by hitting two boundaries in an over.

Goldsworthy raised 200 by pulling a short ball from Matthew Revis to the deep square boundary. The score was 217 for four when former Somerset off-spinner Dom Bess was brought on at the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion End.

By then Abell and Goldsworthy were well set, still taking few risks as they advanced the total to 235 for 4 at lunch, with Abell three short of a half-century and his partner unbeaten on 34. A morning session of 34 overs had produced 80 runs. With the skies darkening after the interval, Abell went to his fifty with an edged three to third man off Moriarty. He had faced 118 balls and hit five fours, looking rock solid against spin and seam alike.

Goldsworthy had a moment of fortune when top-edging a sweep off Moriarty over the head of wicketkeeper Bairstow. The following over, the 82nd of the innings, saw Yorkshire take the second new ball with the scoreboard reading 247 for 4. Abell earned a first batting point with a single to leg off Hill.

White took the new ball at the other end and his first with it brought two narrow escapes for Abell, who appeared to survive a sharp chance to backward point and then what must have been a close lbw appeal. The century partnership with Goldsworthy was raised off 246 balls.

The next landmark was Goldsworthy's fifty, reached with a single off Thompson having faced 146 balls and hit six fours. The floodlights had just been turned on and the rain, which had been forecast, arrived at 2.06pm.

Tea was taken before play restarted at 3.20pm with the lights on and 14 overs initially knocked off the 104 scheduled to be bowled in the day. Moriarty had bowled without luck and was left holding his head when a ball grazed Abell's off stump having come off his glove.

Moriarty was finally rewarded with the wicket of Goldsworthy, lbw attempting to sweep with the total on 298, having battled away for 185 balls. Abell earned a second batting point with a single off the same bowler and a third was secured thanks to a half-century stand with Kasey Aldridge.

It remained for Abell to reach three figures, which he did with a reverse swept four off Bess, his 11th boundary in facing 202 balls. An identical shot with the same outcome took Somerset past 350 and after 110 overs Yorkshire had to settle for a single bowling point.

Abell finally departed to former team-mate Bess, lofting a catch to deep mid-wicket shortly before stumps were drawn.