County Championship: Mohammed Siraj takes 4-54 for Bears before Lewis Gregory leads Somerset fightback

Lewis Gregory went past 50 for the fourth time in first-class cricket this summer and the 18th time in his career

Lewis Gregory led Somerset's fightback with an unbeaten 60 after India's Mohammed Siraj had made a stunning Warwickshire debut in the Division One crunch clash at Edgbaston.

India Test star Siraj, making his Bears debut alongside international team-mate Jayant Yadav, took 4-54, including two wickets with successive balls.

But, the visitors recovered from 46-5 to close on 182-8.

Although hampered by a knee injury, Gregory hit four fours and four sixes.

The visitors were in deep trouble at 82-7 on a truncated first day in which 40 overs were lost to rain and bad light.

But Gregory added 58 with Josh Davey (21) for the eighth wicket before a further 42 with another English first-class debutant Sajid Khan in a so far unbroken partnership for the ninth.

The game opened with a compelling private India v Pakistan tussle. That went India's way when Imam-ul-Haq edged a waft to wicketkeeper Michael Burgess before Oliver Hannon-Dalby then hit Tom Abell's off stump with the second ball after a rain-enforced early lunch.

Tom Lammonby and George Bartlett took Somerset to 46-3 before three wickets fell in six balls on the same score.

Lammonby was stumped by Michael Burgess after his ill-advised charge in Yadav's first over, then Bartlett gloved a pull at Siraj, which Burgess caught well running back and young James Rew went first ball, leg before wicket.

Gregory survived the hat-trick ball only for Henry Brookes to maintain the pressure with two wickets in his first four overs, as Lewis Goldsworthy and Kasey Aldridge were trapped leg before by rapid inswingers.

But Gregory played with great vigilance, lifting spinner Danny Briggs for three successive sixes just before tea, before continuing his resistance with Davey and Khan.

Siraj won another lbw decision to get rid of Davey but Khan came in to take over the lead role with six fours in his 31 out of a stand of 42.

Warwickshire all-rounder Jayant Yadav:

"I really enjoyed the day, especially getting a wicket in my first over.

"Initially the pitch offered some turn but as the day went on the wicket settled down a bit. There is still enough purchase in the wicket but it is slow.

"Somerset did well in the last session to get to the position they are in and credit to Lewis Gregory, he played really well. He hung in there and cashed in."

Somerset head coach Jason Kerr:

"The last two partnerships, between Lewis and Josh and then Lewis and Saj, have given us the opportunity to get parity. We just need to get over 200.

"As we have seen, there is plenty in the surface. It has spun on day one and gone off the straight and there has been some movement up and down as well. We were talking earlier in the day about 180 or 200 being a good score so, having been 82-7, we are in a great position.

"It is incredibly frustrating that we are gifting wickets at times but there was some high quality bowling - and I don't think the rain break helped, having the covers on for a couple of hours. That made the surface sweat a little bit."

Report supplied by the ECB Reporters' Network.