| LV= County Championship Group Two, Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton (day one) |
| Somerset 360: Gregory 107, Van der Merwe 88; Barker 6-72 |
| Hampshire 0-0: Yet to bat |
| Somerset 4 pts, Hampshire 3 pts |
| Match scorecard |
Lewis Gregory led a remarkable lower-order recovery for Somerset against Hampshire with a brilliant 107.
Gregory and Roelof van der Merwe (88) shared an eighth-wicket partnership of 171 to rescue Somerset from 113-7 before they were bowled out for 360.
Keith Barker (6-72) had earlier sparked a top-order collapse to reduce the hosts to 26-4 but Steven Davies (47) and Tom Banton (45) counter attacked.
Bad light prevented Hampshire from beginning their reply before stumps.
Gregory’s third first-class century included 14 fours and two sixes as he and Van der Merwe struck the ball to all parts after Hampshire had dominated the first session.
Left-armer Barker began the day with a spell of 4-7 in his first nine overs that included the wickets of Eddie Byrom, Tom Abell, James Hildreth and George Bartlett with some impressive movement in the air.
Brad Wheal also picked up the wicket of Lewis Goldsworthy to leave them on 43-5 before Davies and Banton responded.
Somerset would enjoy the better of the afternoon session with Davies and Banton the only two wickets to fall as Barker claimed two more, while Gregory survived being dropped three times in the slips before passing 50.
His partnership with Van der Merwe was finally ended when the Netherlands all-rounder was run out by a direct hit to the non-striker’s end by Wheal as he attempted a quick single off Ian Holland.
Gregory was eventually bowled after 143 balls when Kyle Abbott breached his defences and Marchant de Lange was last to depart for 17 off just eight balls when Felix Organ caught him at long leg off Wheal.
Hampshire will begin their reply on the second morning after the umpires deemed the light too poor.
