County Championship - day one (close)

Somerset v Surrey 368-4

EACH of Surrey's top four made half-centuries as bat dominated ball on the opening day of the County Championship match between the Division One top two in Taunton.

In stark contrast to the last fixture at the County Ground a fortnight ago, which finished inside two days after 22 wickets fell on day one, the opening day on this occasion felt more like a return to the Taunton wickets of old as bowlers toiled.

The tone was set by a 147-run opening stand either side of lunch between Rory Burns - who wisely opted to bat upon winning the toss - and Mark Stoneman.

Jamie Overton eventually claimed the breakthrough with a quick delivery which Stoneman, on 85, could only divert to Craig Overton, who took a good one-handed catch at backward point.

Burns, hotly tipped to become Alastair Cook's replacement at the top of England's order for the tour to Sri Lanka this winter, looked untroubled on his way to 78 before the returning Tim Groenewald bowled him through the gate to leave the score 206-2.

Wickets continued to be hard to come by, however, as Jason Roy and former Somerset man Dean Elgar each passed half-centuries of their own.

Roy struck two sixes in his 63 before being trapped in front by Jamie Overton, who then held on to a catch at mid-wicket to see the back of Ollie Pope (44) from the bowling of Josh Davey.

Elgar made his way to 72 by the end of the day, with Ben Foakes to resume alongside him on 11.

Jamie Overton finished with 2-76 from 18 overs for Somerset, while Jack Leach went wicketless in his 19 overs on a surface offering next to no assistance - his fellow spinner, Dom Bess, was not included in the XI.