Centurion James Rew and Tom Kohler-Cadmore produced an unbroken second-wicket stand of 207 to put Somerset in control on the third day of the County Championship Division One match with Nottinghamshire at Taunton.
Having gained a slender first innings lead of nine runs, the hosts had reached 214-1 by the close and led by 223.
Rew was unbeaten on 108, having faced 157 balls and hit 13 fours, while Kohler-Cadmore was unbeaten on 94, from 153 deliveries, also with 13 boundaries.
A major turning point in the game had come in the Notts first innings when Somerset’s young left-arm seamer Alfie Ogborne produced a three-wicket burst in as many overs with the second new ball, reducing the visitors from a comfortable 268-4 to 284-7.
They were eventually bowled out for 338, Joe Clarke top-scoring with 92, in reply to 347 and could now face a battle to salvage a draw on the final day.
The morning session was twice interrupted by rain, with eight overs lost to the 101 scheduled. It took Somerset just five balls to break the Notts fourth-wicket stand of 92 between Clarke and Jack Haynes, the latter caught behind for 55 edging Craig Overton.
After the first short rain break, Kyle Verreynne was dropped on three by Kohler-Cadmore at first slip off Pretorius and by the time the second new ball was taken Notts were looking well placed, just 80 runs behind with six wickets in hand.
That sense of comfort was destroyed by Ogborne with a fine spell bowling over the wicket from the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion End. The second over with the new ball saw him pin Verreynne lbw for 25 with a delivery that swung in to beat the inside edge.
A similar, but even better one three balls later ended Clarke’s impressive innings, which had featured 12 fours. Again, it shaped in off a perfect length and bowled him. Suddenly Notts were 269-6.
It was 274-6 when lunch was taken at 12:50 BST following more rain. But Ogborne was not finished and on the resumption the 22-year-old had Lyndon James caught behind fishing at a ball slanted across him.
Making only his fourth first class appearance for Somerset, Ogborne would have claimed another victim had Overton not spilled a slip chance offered by Liam Patterson-White on 12.
The error did not prove expensive as, having added five to his score, Patterson-White was caught behind down the leg side off Pretorius, a decision that clearly surprised him.
Jake Ball wrapped up the innings by having Rob Lord taken by wicketkeeper Rew for 22 and last man Dillon Pennington caught by Kohler-Cadmore at first slip. Both sides claimed five bonus points.
Somerset’s second innings started badly when Josh Thomas, having already survived a chance to Patterson-White at first slip off Olly Stone, was trapped lbw on the back foot by Pennington for six. Kohler-Cadmore and Rew took the score to 32-1 at tea as bright sunshine provided the best batting conditions of the match.
There was still a strong wind. But the Somerset pair flourished in the final session, achieving a century stand off 145 balls. Rew, who makes a habit of scoring big against Notts, reached his second fifty of the game with a reverse swept four off left-arm spinner Patterson-White.
Kohler-Cadmore followed to a half-century off 81 balls, with eight fours, as both began to accelerate with a final day declaration in mind. Rew took the total past 150 with a sumptuous extra cover driven four off Stone.
The 22-year-old wicketkeeper went to his 12th first-class hundred, an off-driven boundary off Patterson-White taking him to three figures off 147 balls, with 12 fours. Kohler-Cadmore was content to wait until Monday for his century, but had played equally well.
Report by ECB Reporters’ Network, supported by Rothesay.
