Essex declare their intent

Somerset 339 and 23 for 0 trail Essex 400 for 9 dec and 413 (Flower 172, Foster 104, McLean 5-87) by 452 runs at Taunton
Scorecard

Twelve days ago, Durham hit 453 to beat Somerset on this ground. The reverberations are still being felt at Taunton, though in the Essex dressing-room. Rather than declare, Paul Grayson batted on ... and on ... and on. Had Nixon McLean not given an object lesson in how to slice through the tail by smashing the stumps three times in his last three overs, Essex might very well be batting tomorrow. As it is, Somerset need the little matter of 475 from a minimum of 102 overs. By the close, Somerset had inched their way to 23 without loss.

Essex's approach explains why they have yet to record a win in the 2004 Championship. With an iffy weather forecast for tomorrow, things could stay that way.

But don't shed a tear for Grayson. Think instead of Richard Johnson. He has 16 Test wickets at just 17.18, a better average than any current England international bar one (Rikki Clarke's four came at 15.00, though they were all against Bangladesh). However, at Taunton over the past three days, poor old Johnson has looked about as likely to take a wicket as become the new chief executive of the ECB. In fact, given his entertaining innings on Wednesday evening, becoming Nasser's replacement at No. 4 in the England line-up seems distinctly more probable than his running through batsmen.

On the first day, Johnson, running in at three-quarter speed, had figures of 0 for 90 from 20 overs. Today, still out of sorts - apparently his fitness will never fully return - he went for a few less from a few more, but still no wickets. He wasn't alone: his more illustrious new-ball partner, Andrew Caddick, was toothless for most of the day.

Caddick had publicly criticised the Taunton pitch on the first evening - "filth" was one of the more publishable words he used - and that was after he'd filched six Essex wickets. One can only guess what might have passed his lips had he not picked up two wickets late in the Essex innings.

Starting the day at 55 for 2 - an overall lead of 113 - Essex were not yet out of sight, and the game still open. During a dour morning session, bereft of the exuberance of the previous two days, Essex made laudable, if yawnable, progress. Ian Blackwell, after removing Grayson for the steadiest of steady thirties, then found turn out of the rough to spin a ball more than Aftab Habib, the Taunton crowd, and quite probably Blackwell himself, expected. Just before lunch, Essex were 150 for 4, ahead by 211.

With the pitch - that delivery from Blackwell excepted - still as flat as an ice rink, the game could still have swung Somerset's way. Then came the partnership that made sure it wouldn't. Andy Flower, with only one Championship half-century to his name in 2004, and James Foster, a maiden double-hundred freshly tucked under his belt, batted throughout the afternoon session.

In all, they added 179 in 43 overs, Flower reaching a nuggety hundred with an imperious hook way over square leg. His touch rediscovered, he laid out his stall, cutting and driving beautifully. He finally departed for 172, trying to whip Caddick off his hips. Foster ended unbeaten on 104, but it may well count for nought if the rains come.