Day 3:

Worcestershire endured a long day in the field as Somerset took a useful 1st innings lead at New Road in the LV= County Championship match. In the first session the visitors continued their overnight opening partnership for seven overs into the day's play extending it to 207. Arul Suppiah was the man to go, leaving a ball from Saeed Ajmal that turned. Suppiah made 88 in an innings lasting 209 balls.

It was to be the only wicket of the session as Marcus Trescothick looked untroubled the entire session in a serene batting display. The new ball was taken 11 overs before the lunch interval but did little to trouble the Somerset batsmen. Nick Compton survived an early catch chance at slip but survived to lunch on 32*. Trescothick himself passed 150 during the session and moved onto 173* by lunch with Somerset on 307-1.

The 2nd wicket partnership between Trescothick and Compton reached 151 before Jack Shantry made the breakthrough capturing the key wicket of Trescothick, caught at mid wicket by Alexei Kervezee for 203. It was Trescothick's fifth double hundred of his career in an masterful innings lasting 296 deliveries and containing 30 boundaries. On a good batting track and with a strong batting line up Somerset continued to pile on the runs reaching 437-3 by tea, with Nick Compton passing 1,000 First Class runs for the season in the process.

The final session did bring some reward for the home side with six wickets falling in the session as the visitors upped the run rate looking to gain a good 1st innings lead. Compton was dismissed by a catch at slip by Daryl Mitchell off the bowling of Moeen Ali for a 95 that came in 190 balls and contained just 4 boundaries. James Hildreth (67) and Craig Kieswetter (68) kept the flow of runs flowing even though Worcestershire did fight back taking wickets in the final session

Somerset declared on 591-9 after batting for a shade under 152 overs. The pitch did not offer the expected spin for Saeed Ajmal but he still claimed 3-23 in his final spell to finish with economical innings figures of 5-150 in 51 overs. Moeen Ali also picked up a couple of wickets with his off spin with figures of 2-88. Alan Richardson bowled for 34 overs in the innings and while he unusually remained wicketless on this occasion still only went for less than 3.5 runs per over.

The visitors gained an overall 1st innings lead of 103.In the two overs that remained in the day Worcestershire reached 4-0 at the close of play. Worcestershire will have to bat for at least two complete sessions on the final to ensure they save the game

Close of Play Day 3: Worcestershire (488 & 4-0) trail Somerset (591-9 dec.) by 99 runs with 10 second innings wickets remaining.