County Championship - day one (close)

Somerset 330-9 v Lancashire

STEVE Davies scored his second century in as many County Championship home matches as Somerset collected three valuable batting points on day one against Lancashire in Taunton.

Davies added 119 for the fifth wicket with Tom Abell (46), while Eddie Byrom (38) produced another steady innings at the top of the order as the hosts reached 330-9 at the close.

After exercising their right to forego the toss and choosing to bowl first, Lancashire struggled in their initial pursuit for early inroads as Marcus Trescothick and Byrom got the hosts off to a decent start.

The pair had added 39 for the opening wicket when, from the penultimate ball of the 12th over, Trescothick was trapped in front by Tom Bailey and departed for 25.

George Bartlett fell soon afterwards, also lbw, having made just three on his home debut, and James Hildreth walked to the wicket with the score at 44-2.

In what was, in many ways, a typical Hildreth knock - this season at least - the 33-year-old struck several crisp drives and made his way to a fluent 25 before failing to kick on as he played a Ryan McLaren delivery on to his stumps 10 minutes before the lunch interval.

Captain Tom Abell joined Byrom to see the home side to the break at 103-3, but there was a further breakthrough for the visitors just two balls into the afternoon session as the young opener had his off bail removed by McLaren and departed for 38.

The 20-year-old has had a solid beginning to his First Class career and bats with a maturity beyond his years, but he remains yet to convert a promising start into a convincing score - five of Byrom's 10 First Class innings to date have ended between 38 and 43.

The opener's departure saw Steve Davies join his captain at the wicket and the pair, who had batted so well together in the last County Championship match in Taunton against Surrey, again demonstrated their run-scoring ability which has been sadly lacking at times this year.

Both were solid in defence and assertive in attack, punishing the bad balls at will and making use of the short boundary to the Somerset Stand side to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

The partnership had reached 119 when Abell edged Matt Parkinson to slip four short of what would have been his third consecutive half-century, leaving Somerset going in for tea on 229-5.

Davies lost Peter Trego, stumped advancing down the track for 17, and Craig Overton, who edged to slip on four, but the wicketkeeper continued on regardless on his way to a fine century.

The former Surrey man's vital hundred, which arrived just after the departure of Dom Bess (17), came from 160 balls and included 11 fours as he helped Somerset to 296-7 when a brief shower interrupted proceedings.

Play resumed shortly afterwards and the hosts moved past 300, but Davies' valiant innings was ended on 111 when he was bowled by Bailey.

Final pair Leach (25*) and Groenewald (4*) saw Somerset through to the close and will resume tomorrow morning looking to collect the 20 further runs needed to secure another point before getting stuck into the visitors with the ball.

Somerset will also be content with how their relegation rivals fared today - Middlesex saw day one of their clash with Hampshire at Uxbridge washed out, while Yorkshire endured a tough day in the field at The Oval as Surrey ended on 398-3.

Jack Leach and Dom Bess, meanwhile, will take heart from the turn offered to Lancashire spinner Parkinson, who ended with 4-68.