Cidermen face an uphill struggle at Bath

Somerset were left facing an uphill struggle if they are to salvage anything from their championship match against Worcestershire after ending the second day of the Bath Festival still needing 281 runs to avoid an innings defeat with all of their second innings wickets remaining.

Resuming on 422 for 5, Andy Hall who was unbeaten on 30 overnight helped the visitors add a further 116 to their total before he was the last man out after becoming the third centurion for his team as Worcestershire were eventually all out for 538.

The South African who was dismissed LBW by Keith Parsons after batting for a further twenty nine overs this morning, scored 104 runs that came from 115 balls, and included six sixes and eleven fours.

There were two more wickets for Ian Blackwell today to give the slow left armer final figures of 4 for 131 from his 45 overs.

The Cidermen's opening pair of Piran Holloway and Mast Wood saw their first wicket partnership put on 40 runs before Wood was out for 8. Two runs later Holloway who had contributed 30 runs followed him back to the pavilion.

James Bryant and Jamie Cox then seemed to have played themselves in and saw the Somerset hundred up before they both were out, Bryant becoming the first of Gareth Batty's victims after he had scored 28 and Cox who was LBW to Hall for 37.

Skipper Mike Burns followed shortly afterwards at which point tea was taken with the score on 138 for 5 wickets.

After the break Blackwell scored 28 before he fell LBW to Batty, Rob Turner 23, Keith Dutch 17 and Nixon McLean was still at the wicket unbeaten on 35 as Somerset slipped to a disappointing 238 all out.

Following on, Holloway and Wood remained unbeaten at the close by which time they had taken the score onto 19 without loss.

At the end of the day Somerset coach Kevin Shine said: "This was not a good day for us. We just haven't played the sort of disciplined cricket today that has taken us to the top of the table which was very disappointing, because conditions haven't changed out there. They put together a formidable total and we should have done a lot better than the 238 runs we scored."

He continued: "However at the close of play we have sat down and been very honest with ourselves about how things have gone today. We are top of the table and they are right behind us. We want to fight very hard and try to hang onto the credits that we have got ourselves so far this season."

Meanwhile back at the County Ground in Taunton, Somerset seconds are also struggling to save the game against their Surrey counterparts.

Chasing a formidable 600 for 8 declared the Second's were all out for 248, with Antiguan policeman Anwar Prince top scoring with 129.

Following on Somerset had moved onto 201 for 3 by the close, with Wes Durston unbeaten on 76 and triallist Ben Moore from Liverpool 30 not out. Earlier Cornishman Carl Gazzard had made 60.