END OF OVER:
102 | (wicket maiden) | SOM: 301/9

  • Josh Davey17 (38b)
  • Simon Harmer20-6-36-2
  • Jamie Porter29-9-85-2

5.47pm So, it's gloomy, it's cold. It's a tough ask for even a man as experienced as Sir Alastair Cook, let alone his sidekick Paul Walter actually, Nick Browne is the likelier candidate, isn't he? Harmer's on a hat-trick for the second innings, but Sam Cook is the man of the innings for Essex, his five-wicket haul triggering twin collapses, either side of a brilliant century from Eddie Byrom, whose 127-run stand with Craig Overton has pushed his side into the ascendancy... three overs left tonight

101.6
W
Harmer to Brooks, OUT, bowled him! Well, that was short and sweet, tossed onto a perfect length, outside off, biting the pitch, twisting through the gate as Brooks wafts airily. Now then ... that's not terrible news for Somerset. Runs on the board, and a chance to have a dart with the new ball before the close...

JA Brooks b Harmer 0 (3m 1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

Jack Brooks enters the fray. What mischief does he have lodged in his willow?

101.5
W
Harmer to Leach, OUT, round the wicket, pins the knee, and Harmer strikes! Nathan Lyon winces ... that's the way to do it. Half forward, a touch straighter, Leach played for turn but it slid into the pad, and Somerset are nine-down

MJ Leach lbw b Harmer 3 (33m 13b 0x4 0x6) SR: 23.07

101.4
0
Harmer to Leach, no run, head over the ball, firm hands meeting the full length
101.3
0
Harmer to Leach, no run, poked to the leg side, balloons off the knee-roll, but no bat involved
101.2
0
Harmer to Leach, no run, solidly behind the line. Harmer is bowling in sunglasses, which is the height of optimism
101.1
0
Harmer to Leach, no run, round the wicket, outside off, through to the keeper

A change of bowling, and perhaps not before time. Here's Harmer

END OF OVER:
101 | 5 Runs | SOM: 301/8

  • Josh Davey17 (38b)
  • Jack Leach3 (8b)
  • Jamie Porter29-9-85-2
  • Sam Cook32-10-76-5
100.6
4
Porter to Davey, FOUR, tailing into the legs, and clipped sweetly down the hill! Acres of space on the leg side, and Somerset have 300 on the board! That's a hell of an effort when 150 looked a tall order yesterday

After that flurry of breakthroughs, it's suddenly gone a bit flat again for Essex

100.5
0
Porter to Davey, no run, angled in, tapped to cover, firmly behind the line again
100.4
0
Porter to Davey, no run, up on the toes, shaping into the stumps, blocked to the on side
100.3
0
Porter to Davey, no run, outside off, lifting through to the keeper
100.2
0
Porter to Davey, no run, floated onto a full length, cracked hard to mid-on, and that's a fine one-handed stop to intercept the boundary. Cuts off the single too
100.1
1
Porter to Leach, 1 run, flicked off the legs, behind square for another single

END OF OVER:
100 | (maiden) | SOM: 296/8

  • Josh Davey13 (33b)
  • Jack Leach2 (7b)
  • Sam Cook32-10-76-5
  • Jamie Porter28-9-80-2

Porter and Cook have bowled 60 out of 100 overs between them. That's hard yakka. Still, they've got Simon Harmer fresh for the second innings...

99.6
0
SJ Cook to Davey, no run, good areas to finish the over, as we head to another sanitising break

Essex 4th innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st25AN CookNLJ Browne
2nd1AN CookT Westley
3rd42AN CookDW Lawrence
4th30DW LawrencePI Walter
5th33RN ten DoeschatePI Walter
6th48RN ten DoeschateAJA Wheater
7th0AJA WheaterSR Harmer