IT was a Monday to remember for Sonny Baker, as the 18-year-old claimed three wickets on the opening day of Somerset's pre-season match against Worcestershire at the Cooper Associates County Ground in Taunton.

Lewis Gregory - in the Somerset line-up for the first time since returning home from the aborted Pakistan Super League - chipped in with two wickets as Worcestershire were dismissed for 116, before the home side reached 156-8 in reply.

After last week's back-to-back T20 matches against Gloucestershire, it was back to red-ball action for Somerset, and a three-day fixture in preparation for April 8's County Championship opener at Middlesex.

As well as handing playing time to Baker and Gregory, Somerset welcomed Jack Brooks into the line-up and had 17-year-old Jamie Baird keeping wicket.

Putting their opponents in to bat first, the hosts had the breakthrough inside four overs, as Baker - who only joined the Somerset Academy last November, after coming up through the Devon age groups - trapped Jake Libby (0) lbw.

Worcestershire then slipped from 4-1 to 24-4 after 12 overs, as wickets for Josh Davey and Lewis Gregory were followed by another for Baker - the right-arm fast bowler pinning Brett D'Oliveira (0) lbw for his second scalp.

Only Ben Cox (51) was able to respond effectively, before he too fell lbw to Baker; he was the sole Worcestershire batsman to score more than 17 runs, and the visitors were all out for 116 in 35.4 overs.

Baker finished with figures of 3-22 off 10 overs, while Davey claimed 3-36 off 9.4, Gregory 2-7 off five, Ned Leonard 1-23 off four and Somerset skipper Tom Abell 1-0 off three, while Baird took three catches behind the stumps.

Eddie Byrom and Tom Banton opened as the hosts began their reply in the afternoon sunshine, and had 19 on the board when Byrom (11) fell to Charlie Morris (2-40).

Banton added 14 before departing, after which Abell (20), Lewis Goldsworthy (30) and Will Smeed (12) propelled Somerset towards three figures.

All-rounders Gregory (32) and Roelof van der Merwe (22) got them there, only for both to be removed by Worcestershire captain Joe Leach (3-46), leaving Baird (1*) and Davey (0*) together at the close.