Somerset v Lancashire: Steven Davies scores century on day one for home side

Tom Abell (left) and Steven Davies added 119 for Somerset's fifth wicket

Steven Davies scored 111 in Somerset's total of 330-9 on day one of their Championship match against title-chasing Lancashire at Taunton.

Matt Parkinson has figures of 4-68 for Lancashire, who started 36 points behind Division One leaders Essex.

Davies put on 119 with captain Tom Abell (46) for the fifth wicket en route to his second Championship century of the season off 160 balls.

The hosts got to their third batting point late on after a brief rain delay.

Those bonus points and a good start could prove crucial for relegation-threatened Somerset, who are 13 points adrift of sixth-placed Middlesex and need a positive result to boost their own survival prospects as much as Lancashire do for their title challenge.

Lancashire needed almost 12 overs to find their first breakthrough, Tom Bailey trapping Marcus Trescothick lbw for 25, and Somerset were in a degree of trouble at 105-4 when Ryan McLaren bowled fellow opener Eddie Byrom for 38.

Aided by dropped chances, Abell and Davies rebuilt Somerset's innings during the afternoon session and although the former fell four runs short of a third consecutive Championship half-century before tea, left-hander Davies fought on to reach three figures.

Leg-spinner Parkinson performed well on a Taunton pitch offering assistance to the slower bowlers, with wicketkeeper Alex Davies effecting stumpings to dismiss Peter Trego and Dom Bess.