A tough day for the Cidermen in the vital match at Leicester

Somerset will be looking for some early wickets in the morning in their vital relegation match at Grace Road where Leicestershire will resume seventeen runs ahead with five first inning wickets still to fall.

After being put into bat by their hosts the Cidermen got off to another disappointing start losing Matt Wood(1) and Jamie Cox (4) cheaply, both falling LBW to Indian Test bowler Javagal Srinath.

Mike Burns who has been struggling with a knee injury then played probably his best innings of the season, and despite wickets falling steadily around him remained steadfast at the other end.

The eighth wicket partnership of 46 between Burns and Matt Bulbeck (22) was the best of the innings, but when Somerset were all out for 189 in mid afternoon the all rounder was unbeaten on 97, a tantalizing three runs short of what would have been a richly deserved century.

When Leicestershire batted they got off to a solid start before Ian Sutcliffe was LBW to Bulbeck with the score on 41.

Darren Maddy and Tim Ward then took the score onto 130 when Pete Trego accounted for Maddy after he had made 36.

Ashley Wright and Ward took Leicester into the lead but with the score on 190 Wright was bowled by Bulbeck.

There was further joy for the visitors just before the close of play when Trego struck again to remove Ward, and Leicestershire finished the day on 207 for 5.

After the close of play Somerset coach Kevin Shine told me: "This was a tough day for us after we didn't bat as well as we should have. However we pulled it round a bit in the last twenty minutes and with three days left we will try to capitalise on the situation first thing in the morning."

He paid tribute to Mike Burns innings and said: "He was brilliant, and I think that is one of the better innings that I have seen him play. When he started it was seaming around but he took his time and played responsibly which is exactly what was needed."

Regarding the bowling he said: "We didn't get a great start, but we got better and in the end our patience paid off and we were rewarded with some wickets."