Somerset batting coach Shane Burger reacts to Warwickshire's 409 run lead

Somerset County Cricket Club took on Warwickshire at Taunton in the third day of their Vitality County Championship Division One match yesterday.

Somerset started the morning needing 55 runs to avoid the prospect of following on having finished the previous day's session on 208-6, 138 runs behind Warwickshire's first innings effort of 412 all out.

The home side managed to make it to 284 runs before the visitors bowled them out, leaving Warwickshire 128 runs ahead and coming in for their second innings after the break.

Somerset then had to try and temper Warwickshire's run rate on a surface that gave little movement, but saw them hit a strong 281-8 before the day's session came to close.

The innings left Warwickshire 409 runs ahead, with Somerset hoping their visitors might declare overnight.

After the day’s play Somerset batting coach Shane Burger said: “We still feel all results are possible tomorrow. Hopefully, Warwickshire will declare overnight and set up a good game.

“It’s a very good batting wicket and they showed in their first innings that it is possible to put big partnerships together as the ball gets softer.

“We were not able to do that, with the exception of Tom Banton and Tom Abell, but I have every confidence in our batting line-up, which goes right down to number 11.

“Anything in the region of 400 we will be confident of chasing down.”

Warwickshire opener Alex Davies said: “We would have liked to score a bit quicker and have a few overs at them tonight. But the ball became like a sock as they threw it into the dirt at every opportunity to soften it, which was good tactics on their part.

“It made it very difficult to get quick runs. But, having been 40 for four on day one, we will certainly take the position we are in and hope to press for victory tomorrow.

“I am not giving anything away about declaration plans. We will have a talk about it and decide what is best in the morning."