Kyle Abbott leads impressive display by Hampshire’s s seamers on day one of LV= County Championship clash against Somerset at Taunton

Having won the toss, the home side were restricted to 211 all out, Abbott claiming 3-60. He was well supported by Mohammad Abbas, Ian Holland and James Fuller, who claimed two wickets each.

Somerset were unable to break loose from the stranglehold imposed by the disciplined line and length of their opponents, combined with swing and just sufficient movement off the pitch.

Matt Renshaw, Tom Lammonby, Tom Banton, Steve Davies and Craig Overton all got starts. But Overton’s 44 proved to be top score in a disappointing batting effort.

By the close, Hampshire had replied with 29-0 and trailed by 182 runs

With the pitch ashowing tinges of green, particularly in one narrow strip down the middle, eyebrows were raised when Somerset skipper Tom Abell elected to bat first.

But there looked nothing wrong with the decision when Renshaw and Lammonby, fresh from century stands in the previous two games, made a solid start.

Abbott was introduced for the 13th over and beat Renshaw with his first ball.

The Australian responded with two boundaries in the same over. But Abbott made the first inroad with the score on 37 when Lammonby, on 16, edged a full delivery to second slip.

Renshaw was looking in good touch. But, having reached 27, he chased a wide delivery from Ian Holland and presented a second catch to Liam Dawson.

Somerset were 55-3 when Abell fell in unfortunate circumstances, defending a ball from Abbas and watching the ball trickly back to remove his off bail.

An intense morning’s cricket ended with the hosts 58-3 off 30 overs at lunch.

James Hildreth could contribute only eight before falling lbw to Abbas pushing forward, the decision being made by his former Somerset team-mate Ian Blackwell.

Banton curbed his attacking instincts to play responsibly for 24 off 77 balls before being pinned lbw on the back foot by Abbott with the total on 94.

Lewis Gregory edged a third catch to Dawson, off Fuller, and Somerset were in a deep hole at 113-6.

Davies overcame an uncertain start to lead a mini recovery before becoming the first player in the match to succumb to spin, edging Dawson’s seventh delivery to slip and departing for 29.

At tea, the scoreboard read 154-7, with Overton unbeaten on 22. Josh Davey had hit Dawson for a straight six and the pair continued to be positive at the start of the final session.

Overton rode his luck at times, but also struck four fours and two sixes in his breezy 54-ball innings before lofting Abbott into the on-side and falling to a catch by Felix Organ.

Jack Leach and Peter Siddle had their stumps disturbed by Holland and Fuller respectively, leaving Davey, who had looked as technically proficient as any of the players who went in ahead of him, unbeaten on 22.

Hampshire were left with an awkward 14 overs. Somerset’s seamers went past the outside edge on numerous occasions without either Felix Organ or Holland getting a nick as the visitors completed a highly satisfactory day.

Abbot said: ‘It was good bowling out there and I think we would have probably had a bowl first ourselves.

‘It was quite a difficult length to bowl on that pitch, so it was a game of patience and eventually the wickets came. We stuck in there and bowled pretty well as a unit again.

‘That’s how we have operated all season - six games in a row now - and we have been pretty relentless with our lines and lengths and our patience.

‘We will have a better idea of how good 211 is once we have batted. Our two batsmen tonight said that the pitch is still doing a bit.’