Somerset shine as Johnson takes four

The rain played havoc with the third day's play in the second round of County Championship matches yesterday. Somerset's Second Division match against Durham at Taunton, which was one of few to see much play, is finely balanced with the attacks in the ascendancy.

The North-east side opened on 153 for 5 in the morning but added only 27 more for their other five wickets as Richard Johnson claimed 4 for 52. Somerset were 75 for 2 at the close in response, requiring another 119 runs for victory.

The England opener Marcus Trescothick scored 28 runs off 30 balls before Andrew Pratt caught him off the bowling of Neil Killeen, who struck again with just four more runs on the board to remove Michael Burns for a duck.

The match at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff between Glamorgan and Hampshire seems set for a draw.

Glamorgan resumed on 128 for 2 in reply to Hampshire's massive 531 for 7 declared. They added 160 runs in a day interrupted by the inclement Welsh weather. David Hemp was the only wicket to fall, clean-bowled by Alan Mullally on 57, as Mike Powell (74 not out) and Matthew Maynard (63 not out) batted well up to the close.

The New Zealander Craig Spearman was unbeaten on 68 as Gloucestershire reached 114 for 1 in reply to Northamptonshire's first-innings total of 352 at Wantage Road, though barring a flurry of wickets today a result seems unlikely.

In the First Division, Kent are in a position of strength against Leicester at Canterbury. They resumed on 142 for 4 but a century from Geraint Jones (104) and Mark Ealham (82) helped them to an impressive total of 411 all out before rain prevented the visitors starting their second innings.

Leicestershire's key weapon was their captain Phil DeFreitas, who claimed 4 for 69, including the first wicket of the day when he trapped Matthew Walker lbw for 38. His side will need an unlikely 387 runs today to claim victory.