Saqlain and Bicknell strike back for Surrey against Somerset

Martin Bicknell and Saqlain Mushtaq provoked a Somerset collapse after the home side had reached 142-1, having won the toss on the opening day at Taunton.

Four wickets fell for just 17 runs after tea, with Bicknell and Saqlain picking up two each, before Rob Turner and Ian Blackwell steadied things with a stand of 48 to help Somerset close on 207-6.

After the morning session had been lost to steady rain, play finally got underway at 2.15pm, with 41 overs having been lost.

Somerset were able to include Richard Johnson following his release from the England squad and had a further boost when skipper Jamie Cox won the toss and elected to bat.

Cox and Matt Wood were soon making up for lost time as both found the boundary in the opening overs. Only Martin Bicknell of the Surrey bowlers caused any problems, going past the edge of Wood's bat and seeing Cox kick the ball away from his stumps as it rolled towards them.

It was Bicknell who made the breakthrough, yorking Wood, with the ball just flicking the bat before splaying the middle and off stumps. The 20-year-old batsman had made 24, with five fours, helping Cox put on 49.

Cox and Mike Burns continued to punish anything loose. The Somerset captain brought up his half-century from 85 balls, with nine fours, and the partnership was worth 68 at tea as the home side reached 117-1 off 31 overs.

But the rest of the day belonged largely to Surrey. Burns, on 38, was picked up off bat and pad to give Saqlain his first wicket and soon Peter Bowler doubled his tally by flicking a catch to mid-wicket.

Cox had made 76 when carelessly cutting a short ball for Bicknell straight to Ben Hollioake at point, while Mark Lathwell drove all around a full-length ball from the paceman.

Turner survived an appeal for a catch at third slip by Ian Ward off Bicknell, with umpire Ray Julian ruling that the ball hadn't carried, but fell for 29 to the last ball of the day, lbw to Ed Giddins.