Craig Overton's late hitting drives Somerset into dominant position

Craig Overton scored an unbeaten 95 from 111 balls as Somerset tightened their grip on the Vitality County Championship Division One clash with Nottinghamshire in Taunton.

From an overnight score of 116 for one, the hosts were bowled out for 454, taking a first-innings lead of 261 after 246 for seven. Shaun Dixon made 72, Tom Bunton 83, Michael Pretorius 77 and nightwatchman Josh Davey 45, while spinner Calvin Harrison took four for 93.

At the end, Notts were 38 for one in their second innings, Ben Slater fell to a brilliant catch by Dixon at mid-on at Davy, still trailing by 223.

It took Somerset until the final over before lunch to get the 78 runs needed for a first-innings lead as Notts' seam attack worked well without a cloud.

Dixon added just two to his 70 of the night when he tried to drive a wide delivery from Luke Fletcher. He made good contact but tipped the ball to Jack Haynes who took a superb low catch.

Tom Lemonby made 241 runs in three championship innings. He and Davey added 41 for the third wicket before he fell leg-side, while Brett Hutton played 17 over the line.

Lewis Goldsworth made it just three when he saved keeper Joe Clarke from a Lyndon James save and Hutton was unlucky not to add Bunton to the hit list, three times in one over the outside of his stick.

But throughout, Davey stood firm and looked in little trouble as he reached 44 not out at lunch with eight fours. Bunton overcame early worries to be unbeaten in the 13th season, a stingy Fletcher single putting Somerset ahead with six first-order wickets in hand. They lunched on 194 for four from 63 Tests, with Fletcher taking one for 36 from 17 overs.

Those numbers took a hit in the experienced seamer's first over after lunch when Bunton hit him for three fours off fewer balls. The England T20 all-rounder, who has worked hard to establish himself in red-ball cricket, has visibly grown in confidence.

He lost Davy to partner with a total of 218, between bat and field with Harrison's third ball of the day. Till then the night watchman had hit 104 balls and hit 8 fours.

Nott fought back. James Rew, 13, was bowled by a short ball from James and caught Haynes. Lewis Gregory then fell lbw to a quicker ball from Harrison, who had done just one.

Nott took the new ball to 262 for seven. Overton met it with successive boundaries off Hutton, a sumptuous straight drive and a bright shot. Banton flourished from the early uncertainty and it was a surprise when he walked out with a low catch to mid-off against Patterson for 158 balls to stretch the limit to 11. Overton's 67-ball fifty was some of the best knocks. day. He was unbeaten on 57 at tea, which was taken along with Somerset's 347 for eight, with 154 in front.

In the final session, Overton and Pretorius turned the screw with a hundred short in just 95 balls. They extended it to 139 when Pretorius, after impressively moving to a 52-ball fifty and hitting 2 massive sixes off Harrison, was run out to Matt Montgomery in what proved to be his only score.

Overton, who hit nine fours and a six, was denied a second first-class century when last-order Shoaib Bashir inexplicably tried to bowl Harrison and skied a simple catch. His clearly distraught partner ran off the pitch, ignoring the applause he deserved.