Middlesex hit back after mammoth stand

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Close, day one: Middlesex 10-0 trail Somerset 408 by 398 runs

Middlesex produced a superb fightback with seven late wickets to check Somerset’s progress after a 261-run partnership had put the home side in command.

Marcus Trescothick (140) and James Hildreth (187) dominated the bowling either side of lunch, scoring at more than five an over.

But no other Somerset batsmen made more than 23, with James Harris taking four wickets in the space of half an hour after tea.

Steven Finn and Tim Murtagh also chipped in as Somerset collapsed from 377-3 to 408 all out, with Middlesex surviving four overs before stumps.

Middlesex made three changes from the Nottinghamshire draw, with Neil Dexter, James Franklin and Ollie Rayner coming in for the injured Dawid Malan and dropped Paul Stirling and Tom Helm.

After putting Somerset in, openers Trescothick and Tom Abell put on 50 but Middlesex took two wickets in four balls to limit the damage.

But they were taken apart by the two centurions, who quickly moved the score up to 148-2 at lunch and then 312-2 just before tea.

Trescothick hit 24 fours and a six but was finally removed by a great catch from Harris, running back in the deep.

Hildreth, who scored 25 fours and two sixes in his knock, added a further 65 with Jim Allenby before Harris (5-83) ran through the middle order.

Finn and Murtagh helped finish off the tail as Middlesex took 7-31 in 11 overs to peg the hosts back.

Sam Robson and Nick Gubbins came through a potentially tricky final four overs of the day, with Middlesex needing 248 more to avoid the follow-on.

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