A productive over for James Hildreth, who sweeps off-spinner Simon Harmer for four, and then goes back to a short-of-a-length delivery and turns it away between short leg and leg-slip for another.

Third slip moves out to short mid-wicket as Sanderson angles one into Roderick - who picks up a single to square leg.

One more scalp needed for Northants to pick up the first of the four points they need to go up to Division One.

The weather is expected to intervene from around 1400 BST.

from MattRenshaw449: "Also good luck to the @SomersetCCC, external this week. I know how big it will be but backing you boys to do the job! #blackbird, external"

He's not behind the mic today - but happy birthday, Blowers. You are truly one of a kind.

After another Sam Cook maiden, and the floodlights turned on, Essex decide is is time for spin - with the game just eight overs old.

Here comes Simon Harmer, the leading wicket-taker in Division One with 78 so far and he immediately finds enough turn for the ball to beat everyone and run away for four byes.

A confident lbw appeal against James Hildreth is turned down and it's a maiden for Harmer - with the danger signs for Somerset already apparent.

Alex Winter
BBC Radio Northampton sport

A beauty to get rid of Bracey, full of length, enticing the drive.

Hampshire's Kyle Abbott has his second wicket of the morning at Canterbury, with Sam Billings caught behind for one. Kent are 25-3 in the eighth over.

Yorkshire are going along positively at Edgbaston, reaching 37-0 in the ninth over. Tom Loten is due in at number three for what will be his first Championship innings.

Surrey openers Mark Stoneman and Scott Borthwick are still together at the Oval with the home side 27-0 in the eighth against Nottinghamshire.

Image source, Rex Features

James Hildreth survives an lbw appeal at the start of Jamie Porter's latest over, but then whips the Essex seamer away through square leg for four.

Porter adjusts his line, but not his length, and Hildreth finds the boundary again through point.

Hildreth came into this match averaging only 22.65 in the Championship - a disappointing return for a batsman of his proven quality.

The first bowling change of the morning as Hampshire loanee Gareth Berg comes on for Brett Hutton.

Just the two slips in place now.

Chris Dent punches through the covers off the back foot for four.

This looks like a good pitch for batting. Not a blade of grass in sight.

Cricket sentimentalists may have been hoping Somerset would recall former England opener Marcus Trescothick for the title decider against Essex.

But there was no room in their squad for the 43-year-old, who has not played for the first team since their 102-run victory over Surrey at Guildford in June.

There will, however, be a special presentation to Marcus during today's lunch interval to mark his contribution to Somerset cricket since his debut all the way back in 1993.

We wonder, though, if events transpire that Somerset are in a position to beat Essex and win the title whether he might make it out their for five minutes of 12th man fielding duty. Wouldn't that be fantastic?

Four leg byes as James Bracey gets a pad on the last ball of Brett Hutton's fourth over.

Chris Dent gets a single off Ben Sanderson and Bracey is beaten outside off stump but survives.

First half hour goes to the batting side.

Sam Cook is very much one of those old-fashioned line and length seam bowlers, who can be very difficult to score off when conditions are in his favour.

As well as seam movement, there is also a little bit of uneven bounce in this Taunton wicket and Tom Abell is beaten outside off stump as Cook completes a third successive maiden over - his figures are 2-0.

Daniel Norcross
BBC 5 Live Sports Extra

"A huge bumble bee has just flown in front of us - very much the jumbo jet of the insect world that one"

James Hildreth made a half-century against Yorkshire earlier in the month, but that apart, it's been a bit of a lean time of late for the Somerset stalwart. He gets off the mark with a push for two through backward point as the home side look to rebuild.

James Bracey picks up a couple of boundaries off Ben Sanderson with a drive through point and an edge wide of the slips.

No fourth slip - otherwise he might have been in trouble.

Away from Bristol and the Riverside, here's the latest in our Division Two games:

Lancashire chose to bowl first at Grace Road and have taken early Leicestershire wickets.

The captain of the home side Paul Horton was caught by Keaton Jennings off the bowling of Richard Gleeson without scoring.

Hassan Azad was caught and bowled (also by Gleeson) for nine.

The hosts are now 9-2.

Middlesex are 13-1 at home against Derbyshire.

Nick Gubbins was caught behind off Luis Reece for a duck.

Rain delayed play at Hove between Sussex and Worcestershire - where only seven balls were bowled beforehand.

But that was enough to dislodge Luke Wells - who was caught behind off Ed Barnard for a duck.

Sussex have resumed batting now and are 3-1.

Varun Chopra
Essex batsman on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra

"Sam Cook is one of those bowlers, when he gets on a roll, he really makes it count."