White: Superb bowling has given us a chance

And he admitted the wicket at the County Ground is a difficult track to bat on.

The Ageas Bowl side got off to a disastrous start after being dismissed for just 162 inside 50 overs before tea.

However, Hampshire’s bowlers reacted well and reduced Somerset to 157 for five at stumps.

Coach White believes things could have been even better for the visitors in the field and he’s urged his side to start brightly this morning (11am).

He said: ‘I thought it was an amazing day of cricket.

‘There was certainly a fair bit of spin out there, but we are a little disappointed with the total we posted with the bat.

‘Having said that, to get them five wickets down at the close of play was excellent on our part.

‘To be honest, had things have gone our way, Somerset could have been seven or eight down.

‘Today we need to have good first hour and to make sure we are out there batting again as quickly as possible.

‘It’s a pretty tough wicket to bat on, but tomorrow is a new day.’

Jack Leach ripped through the Hampshire batting order by taking six wickets after the visitors won the toss.

Openers Michael Carberry and Liam Dawson got the scoreboard moving before the latter carelessly pulled a short ball from Leach to Dom Bess at square leg for 13.

Carberry soon followed before Leach began his rampant spell.

He dismissed James Vince for 11 before Rilee Rossouw went for a duck in his third successive innings.

Only captain George Bailey and Kyle Abbott could muster any sort of resistance for the Ageas Bowl side, with both falling one run short of a half-century.

But Hampshire responded well in the field and Somerset’s reply was decent without being totally satisfactory.

Marcus Trescothick departed for six off Abbott before the hosts’ captain Tom Abell and Dean Elgar added 75 for the second wicket.

However, when Lewis McManus caught Abell off Dawson for 40, Bailey & Co clawed their way back into the game with three further wickets falling before the close of play.

Elgar, who became the first batsman on the day to reach raise his bat – off 74 balls with six fours and a six – made 60 but fell to Dawson.

James Hildreth was trapped LBW by Abbott before Peter Trego was the fifth man out at 141 with 
Dawson taking his third wicket of the match.

Ryan Davies and Lewis Gregory saw Somerset through, although Hampshire bowled three tight maidens in the final three overs of play.