Essex pair prevent Somerset innings win

Rothesay County Championship, Division One, The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton (day three)

Somerset 469: Thomas 110, Nicholls 96, Rew 74, Abell 65, Pretorius 48; Cook 4-92

Essex 158& 314-3: Allison 105*, Critchley 76*, Elgar 56, Walter 43

Bonus points: Essex (2 pts) lead Somerset (6 pts) by three runs with seven wickets standing

Match scorecard

Charlie Allison hit a defiant century to lead a determined Essex fightback on the third day of the County Championship Division One match with Somerset at Taunton.

The 21-year-old's unbeaten 105, off 219 balls, with 13 fours and 2 sixes helped the visitors progress from an overnight 59 without loss in their second innings to 314-3, a slender lead of three runs.

Matt Critchley contributed 76 to an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 187, while Dean Elgar earlier made 56 on a day of frustration for the Somerset bowlers.

They toiled away for precious little reward and now face a tough final day to secure a win that would significantly boost hopes of a first ever title as the wide-open Championship race builds towards a potentially thrilling finale.

Play began under cloudless skies with Somerset being led by James Rew in the absence of Lewis Gregory, who suffered a badly bruised hip while fielding on day two.

Edgar and Paul Walter looked relatively untroubled in extending their overnight stand, the latter hitting off-spinner Archie Vaughan for six over wide long-on as the partnership progressed to 82 before Somerset made a breakthrough.

Walter, on 43, was bowled through the gate driving at a good length ball from Jake Ball, reward for the bowlers maintaining a tight line and keeping a check on the run-rate.

Edgar went to a 91-ball fifty, with eight fours, against one of his former clubs. But, having added six more to his score, he edged a defensive push off fellow South African Migael Pretorius through to wicketkeeper Rew.

It was 127-2 and without a run added Essex skipper Tom Westley fell to a soft dismissal, driving Jack Leach in the air to cover where Tom Abell took a comfortable catch.

The afternoon, though, belonged entirely to the visitors as Allison and Critchley batted with increasing solidity.

Allison emerged from a cautious start to play with increasing freedom as the Essex pair brought up a half-century stand in 129 balls.

A six over long-on off Leach signalled Allison's increasing confidence and he moved to an impressive 50 off 88 balls.

The partnership extended to the century mark from 225 deliveries before tea was taken at 232-3, with Allison unbeaten on 60 and Critchley 39 not out.

The second new ball had just been taken and Pretorius used it to some effect after the interval, going past the bat on numerous occasions.

But there was little threat from the other end as Gregory, back on the field after missing the first two sessions, shuffled his attack in an increasingly desperate effort to claim a wicket.

Allison went to an immensely valuable fourth first class hundred off 185 balls with a single off Leach and Critchley, content to play a supporting role, brought up his second 50 of the match from 170 deliveries.

Critchley edged a turning delivery from Leach but Gregory spilled the most straightforward of chances at first slip and his boundary in the final over of play carried Essex into the lead.

Report by ECB Reporters' Network, supported by Rothesay.