Somerset in control against Ireland in Taunton match

Marcus Trescothick ended day three at Taunton on 96

Somerset hold a seemingly unassailable 435-run lead after the third day of their four-day match against Ireland.

Having scored 342-5 in their first innings, Somerset bowled out Ireland for 147 despite Niall O'Brien's 50. Josh Davey took five Irish wickets.

The hosts ended the day 240-3, Marcus Trescothick having scored 95 and George Bartlett 55 to put their side in control at Taunton.

Ireland are using the game as a warm-up for their Test against Pakistan in May.

Ireland lost their remaining seven wickets for the addition of just 75 runs on Sunday, having resumed at 72-3 after a much rain-affected day two on Saturday.

Niall O'Brien was unbeaten on 12 and Paul Stirling yet to get off the mark, and it did not take Davey long to drop back into his rhythm and with the last ball of his first over he removed Stirling's off stump.

The right arm seamer was relishing the conditions and struck again four overs later, this time bowling Gary Wilson off an inside edge to leave Ireland 81-5.

O'Brien was joined by his brother Kevin and between them they saw up the 100.

Niall O'Brien took his runs whenever he could and in the 45th over of the innings he played Tim Groenewald to the third man boundary to go to his 50 which came off 58 balls with eight fours.

Two balls later however the bowler got his revenge when he had Niall O'Brien caught at mid-off by Tom Abell without addition to his score.

Three overs later Kevin O'Brien followed his brother back to the pavilion, well caught at fourth slip low down by James Hildreth off the bowling of Paul van Meekeren, which made Ireland 126-7.

The Dutchman struck again in his next over when he had Simi Singh caught at fourth slip by Jamie Overton for two.

Davey switched to the Somerset Pavilion End and accounted for Barry McCarthy, lbw as he looked to play across the line. It was the Scotsman who wrapped up the innings when he bowled Peter Chase and Ireland were all out for 147.

Davey ended with five for 29 from 14.4 overs, Van Meekeren three for 31 off 11 while Groenewald took two for 28 off 13.

Leading by 195 runs, Trescothick set out his stall from the start taking a boundary off the last ball of the first over to backward square leg, and two off the second, the first a classic off drive followed by four crashed through mid wicket, both off Peter Chase.

Trescothick raced to his half century when he took a single into the off side off Rankin, his runs coming off 53 balls with nine fours. There was no stopping the left hander and in the space of five balls he hit three boundaries - two off Rankin and one off Kevin O'Brien.

At the opposite end Eddie Byrom was timing the ball well, continuing from his first innings and by tea he had helped to move the score on to 122 without loss, Trescothick unbeaten on 87 and Byrom not out 27.

The young opener retired at the interval and after tea Bartlett came out to resume with Trescothick, who took his own score on to 96 when he was caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien off Boyd Rankin.

Bartlett, who was then joined by Hildreth, hit some clean and crisp shots, the best of which was a big six over the long on boundary from Singh to take him into the 40s.

He duly went to his 50 with a single to backward square leg off McCarthy, his runs coming from 79 balls with seven fours and a six.

The third wicket partnership between Bartlett and Hildreth added 89 runs before Bartlett was caught by Niall O'Brien off McCarthy for 55, which made Somerset 225-3.

Hildreth made getting runs look easy in the early evening sunshine and by the close of play he was unbeaten on 44, while Abell was nine not out.