County Championship: Dom Bess boosts Somerset title hopes v Notts
- Published
Specsavers County Championship Division One, Cooper Associates County Ground, day two |
Somerset 365 & 105-2: Trescothick 39, Rogers 31* |
Nottinghamshire 138: Libby 42; Bess 5-43, Leach 3-42 |
Somerset (7 pts) lead Notts (3 pts) by 332 runs |
Teenage off-spinner Dom Bess took 5-43 as Somerset boosted their title chances by skittling relegated Nottinghamshire for 138 on day two at Taunton.
Slow left-armer Jack Leach weighed in with 3-42, while opener Jake Libby top-scored with 42 for the visitors.
Despite their lead of 227, Somerset skipper Chris Rogers decided not to enforce the follow-on.
They lost Tom Abell (10) and Marcus Trescothick (39) in reaching the close on 105-2, 332 ahead with two days left.
Somerset have taken seven out of a possible eight bonus points and if they go on to win the game, they can become champions for the first time, providing Middlesex do not beat Yorkshire - and Yorkshire do not win and match their bonus points total.
The home side managed to add 43 to their overnight 322-9 in the morning before Bess fell to Samit Patel for 41.
The 19-year-old then bowled five successive maidens as Notts reached lunch at 35-1 in reply before claiming his first wicket when Tom Moore edged to slip.
Bess then removed Libby, with the help of a short-leg catch, before taking a superb one-handed effort off his own bowling to send Michael Lumb on his way for 29.
Billy Root, brother of England star Joe, made 10 before he fell to Leach soon after tea as Notts lost three wickets for no runs and Bess then had Jake Ball lbw to end the Notts innings.
James Hildreth is unlikely to bat again in the match after scans confirmed his ankle was fractured by a Ball yorker early in his innings of 135 on the opening day.
Ryan Davies was promoted to number four and was 24 not out at stumps, with skipper Chris Rogers on 31.
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