Essex rally against Somerset after following on

Rothesay County Championship, Division One, The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton (day two)

Somerset 469: Thomas 110, Nicholls 96, Rew 74, Abell 65, Pretorius 48; Cook 4-92, Snater 3-96

Essex 158: Critchley 50, Walter 58; Leach 4-37, Gregory 3-29 & 59-0: Elgar 30*, Walter 29*

Bonus points: Essex (2 pts) trail Somerset (6 pts) by 252 runs after follow-on

Match scorecard

Somerset strengthened their bid for a first-ever County Championship title with an impressive second day performance against Essex at Taunton.

James Rew finished unbeaten on 74, passing 4,000 career runs, as Somerset improved from an overnight 348-5 to 469 all out, although claiming only one more batting bonus point.

Home skipper Lewis Gregory then claimed three wickets with his first eight balls as Essex slumped to 158 all out, with discarded England spinner Jack Leach taking a season's 4-37.

Matt Critchley top-scored with 50, while Paul Walter made 48.

After being invited to follow on 311 behind, the visitors then made a better fist of things second time around.

They reached fhe close on 59-0 as Dean Elgar (30) and Walter (29) reduced the deficit to 252.

Somerset unsurprisingly enforced the follow-on, despite Gregory being unable to bowl after falling on the ball while fielding and damaging a hip.

Elgar, on 12, survived a caught and bowled chance to Jake Ball, but that was a rare moment of alarm as he and Walter saw out the 19 overs to the close.

Report by ECB Reporters' Network, supported by Rothesay.