Champions drive home their advantage

When Somerset gained promotion, Andy Caddick looked back fondly on beating Nottinghamshire at Taunton earlier this season, saying it gave him a marker of the kind of opposition they could expect in the top flight. In which case, he will be delighted with another crushing day at Trent Bridge - Somerset piling up 469 to take a first-innings lead of 311. Marcus Trescothick and Ian Blackwell converted their seventies to hundreds, and there was also a century for Peter Trego. Nottinghamshire, though, weren't finished: their second innings got off to a solid start before Mike Munday removed both openers in successive overs.

Essex's seam bowling quartet took full advantage of a Chelmsford wicket that had more pace than normal. With the ball also swinging, Tony Palladino was the pick of the bowlers as he recorded a season's best 4 for 44 before claiming the wicket of Andrew Strauss for the second time in the day - caught by Varun Chopra at slip - after Middlesex were forced to follow on 194 runs behind.

Graham Wagg's seventh first-class fifty lifted Derbyshire from an overnight 93 for 3 to 382 against Northamptonshire at Derby. The lower order weighed in with significant contributions; all of them reaching double figures.

Gloucestershire's second day against Glamorgan at Cardiff was entirely lost to rain.