Fergus O'Neill returned three wickets as Nottinghamshire's bowling attack constrained Somerset to 295-7 in the face of Jordan Hermann's century at the end of day one at Trent Bridge.
A partnership of 122 from South African left-hander Hermann, with 106, and Thomas Rew, who made 68, steered a Somerset recovery of sorts from 47 for three against Nottinghamshire in the Rothesay County Championship first division at Trent Bridge.
But with O’Neill later grabbing two of the three wickets that fell to a second new ball, Notts ensured the game was back in the balance.
It was debutant Mohammad Ali who broke through straight after tea to remove Rew but Hermann, opening in his second four-day innings since being signed in mid-May, reached a well-judged century from 203 balls until bowled soon after as O’Neill moved to overnight figures of 3/66.
Put in under heavy cloud, Somerset must have hoped for more early relief than was granted by two brief showers that delayed the start and then brought a short stoppage after five balls.
Within seven overs of the resumption, two men had gone, both held at the third of four slips kept in place through much of the first session. O’Neill, who gives the habitual impression of a man who can’t wait to bowl, grew more bustling still after straightening one that took the leading edge as Josh Thomas, playing to leg, fell without score.
Lewis Goldsworthy, edging his drive at Brett Hutton, followed for eight and it was an hour before Hermann, opening, could often break from defence. Ironically, it proved a second savage drive at Dillon Pennington that did for James Rew as non-striker when the bowler deflected onto the stumps and ran him out for ten.
After lunch taken at 63-3, Somerset saw 18-year old Thomas Rew, James’s brother, fill the breach in a watchful innings that broke into occasional flashing off drives as he matched his South African partner run for run.
Ali’s first ball in the second over after tea, taken on 167 for three, finally undid Rew, palpably LBW. Archie Vaughan, watched by father Michael, the former England captain, took 41 balls to reach five in support of Hermann but ensured no harm was done in advance of the new ball.
He went on to contribute 25 to a stand of 65 before Hermann was bowled when O’Neill nipped one back before having Craig Overton LBW without score next over in which Vaughan had also escaped on 26 offering a hard diving chance to the ‘keeper.
Vaughan will resume on 51, with Jack Leach on 21, having seen Lewis Gregory go, too, out for ten to a Pennington ball that kept low in a final hour that has left the game tantalisingly poised.