Somerset 136 & 60-4 are level with Hampshire 196

Kyle Abbott wreaked more havoc on Somerset’s batting as Hampshire assumed a dominant position on the second day of the Vitality County Championship Division One game at Taunton.

The visitors gained a first innings lead of 60 in the battle for runners-up spot by extending their overnight score of 62 for five to 196 all out, Toby Albert making 77 and Jack Leach claiming five for 52.

Then Abbott went to work, following his four first innings victims with three for 11 as Somerset slumped to 60 for four by stumps on another rain-shortened day. The 37-year-old seamer has now taken 67 wickets against them during his prolific career, more than against any other county.

Heavy rain overnight and morning drizzle meant a major mopping up job for groundstaff and an early lunch was taken at 12.15pm after two pitch inspections, play eventually getting underway at 12.55pm.

Somerset surprisingly began with seam bowling at both ends, but when left-arm spinner Leach was introduced with the total on 76 for five, his second ball saw Felix Organ, on 12, edge to Kasey Aldridge at second slip.

Albert, who had been dropped before scoring by Aldridge on day one, moved to an immensely valuable 116-ball half-century, with 5 fours. Normally one of Somerset’s best fielders, Aldridge was at fault again when spilling a straightforward chance at square leg, offered by Ben Brown on ten.

Albert hit straight sixes off Leach and Shoaib Bashir as the seventh-wicket partnership with Brown prospered and took Hampshire into the lead before the opener’s 162-ball innings ended, caught behind flashing at a delivery from Aldridge.

Brown departed for 35, caught at backward point, aiming to reverse sweep Leach, to make it 159 for eight. But Somerset’s hopes of restricting the lead suffered a blow when Bashir dropped Abbott at mid-on off Leach.

On two at the time, Abbott went on to score 18 before driving a catch to short cover off Lewis Gregory. James Fuller then hit Archie Vaughan for six over long-on before perishing in the same over, caught at deep extra cover for a rapid 25, aiming another big hit.

Somerset had paid dearly for dropping three catches. But soon they were benefitting from one as Tom Lammonby escaped a low chance to third slip in Abbott’s first over. It didn’t prove costly for Hampshire, however, as Lammonby fell for only a single, edging a catch behind off Mohammad Abbas.

Soon Abbott was wielding his customary spell over Somerset. Bowling from the River End, he pinned Vaughan lbw for 25 and then induced edges from Andy Umeed and Tom Abell, who both fell to slip catches as their side stumbled to 38 for four, still 22 runs behind.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore picked up a delivery from left-arm spinner Liam Dawson over mid-wicket for six as 16 runs were added before a short rain-break, which saw eight overs lost when play resumed at 5.20pm.

Only 2.2 had been bowled when another heavy shower sent the players off again, Somerset just having written off the first innings deficit. A downpour followed and the umpires abandoned play for the day at 5.45pm.