Cox and Bowler put Somerset in command

Jamie Cox and Peter Bowler put Somerset in command of the County Championship first division match at Taunton. The pair dominated the second day's action with a third wicket stand of 199 in 64 overs, as Somerset closed on 370-6 in repsonse to Lancashire's 239.

Somerset captain Cox struck a season's best 171 before falling to Joe Scuderi, Lancashire's most successful bowler, three overs from the finish.

Bowler, in fine form this summer, had moved untroubled to 95 before he was caught by wicketkeeper Warren Hegg off Michael Smethurst.

With the pitch playing perfectly for the batsmen, it will still be hard work for Somerset to conjure up their third championship success of the season. But Cox was pleased with his side's efforts and by his best score of the season.

"That's probably as well as I've played this season," said Cox, who had passed fifty just once in his previous ten championship innings.

He added: "I remember vividly a cover drive for four off Glenn Chapple when I was in the 70s. From that moment, I felt the season had started for me. Until then it had been a bit of a battle.

"It was important we batted big in our first innings, so that we've got some scoreboard pressure on Lancashire when they go in again."

Mark Lathwell gave Cox good support in an opening stand of 104 before he fell lbw to a delivery from Scuderi which kept low.

Piran Holloway followed Lathwell back to the pavilion three overs later when he was unlucky run out at the non-striker's end, after Gary Keedy had tipped a Cox drive onto the stumps.

But from there on Cox and Bowler showed good shot selection and judgement to frustrate Lancashire for the next 64 overs.

The tempo increased noticeably after tea, with Bowler severly punishing Michael Smethurst's second over with the second new ball.

Bowler pulled Smethurst for three successive fours to midwicket and then hooked the next delivery for six over long leg.

Smethurst exacted revenge in his following over when, from around the wicket, he had Bowler caught behind.

Cox took a straight six off Keedy's left-arm spin, while many of his 19 fours were struck crisply through the covers.

He had his best Somerset score of 216, achieved against Hampshire at Southampton last year, within his sights when he played across a straight delivery from Scuderi and was lbw.

Scuderi also snapped up the wickets of Keith Parsons and Peter Trego, caught at slip and by the wicketkeeper respectively, in a late burst which left him with excellent figures of 4-31 from 17 overs.

But there was little else to cheer Lancashire as their hopes of keeping up with Surrey and Yorkshire at the top of the table suffered a setback.