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Somerset in the ascendency after day two
Somerset continued to dominate on the second day of this three-day pre-season fixture against Gloucestershire at the Cooper Associates County Ground and by the close of play the home side had established a lead of 236.
Having declared on 441 for three at the end of day one, Somerset began day two with ball in hand and Craig Overton made an early breakthrough for the hosts when he accounted for Chris Dent (14) with the opening ball of the 9th over.
Having beaten the bat on a number of occasions already, the Somerset seamer got one to shape away from the Gloucestershire opener who prodded at it enabling James Rew to take a simple catch low down with 34 runs on the board.
Despite that early setback, Ben Charlesworth and Ollie Price brought up the Gloucestershire 50 in the 13th over and their 50 partnership arrived shortly thereafter from 99 balls.
The Gloucestershire 100 arrived in the 28th over and by lunch the score had advanced to 107.
Archie Vaughan was brought into the attack after the interval and he struck with the fourth ball of his third over. Price (44) attempted to deposit the Somerset spinner into the River Tone but only succeeded in picking out Alfie Ogborne at 125 for two.
The score had moved on to 144 when Overton banged one in to Miles Hammond who top edged high into the Taunton sky and the ball dropped into the waiting hands of Jack Leach.
The Gloucestershire 150 arrived in the 48th over before Charlesworth reached three figures from 154 balls. However, he fell for the addition of just six further runs to his total when he picked out a tumbling Tom Banton in front of the Andrew Caddick Pavilion off the bowling of Jack Leach at 187 for four.
The visitors brought up their 200 in the 62nd over but James Bracey feathered Lewis Gregory through to James Rew to depart for 17 as Gloucestershire reached tea on 203 for five.
After the break, and with just four runs added to the total, Overton comprehensively bowled Ed Middleton (0) to claim his third scalp of the day.
Josh Davey then claimed three wickets to leave the visitors on 218 for nine.
Graeme van Buuren was trapped lbw for 24 at 213 for seven, Josh Shaw (4) was caught behind and Zaman Akhter fell in similar fashion to put Somerset very much in the ascendancy.
Kasey Aldridge brought Gloucestershire’s first innings to a close at 222 when Ahmed Syed departed courtesy of a brilliant one handed diving catch from James Rew.
Archie Vaughan and Sean Dickson made their way to the middle for the host’s second innings in the dwindling light with Somerset’s lead a sizable 219.
By the time the players left the field due to bad light the lead had advanced to 236.
