Fleming guides Notts

Notts batsman Stephen Fleming © Getty Images

Kiwi Stephen Fleming produced a captain's innings for Nottinghamshire in the top-of-the-table LV County Championship Division Two clash with Somerset at Trent Bridge.

The 34-year-old made a classy 145 from 172 balls and ensured the hosts made a respectable total of 350 after Andrew Caddick sparked a middle order collapse.

Caddick, who had been put on stand-by for England duty following an injury scare to Chris Tremlett, finished with 4-69.

Those statistics including the wicket of Fleming, who was last man out and added 83 for the 10th wicket with Nadeem Malik.

Somerset then raced to 83 for one off 20 overs, with Marcus Trescothick unbeaten on 43, and left the Division Two leaders in a strong position overnight 267 behind.

With Nottinghamshire missing six seamers through injury and Ryan Sidebottom on England duty, Malik was brought straight into the side after signing on loan from Worcestershire the day before the match.

Fleming won the toss and saw openers Will Jefferson and Jason Gallian put on 55 before Caddick claimed his first victim, with Gallian edging to Trescothick at second slip for 22.

Mark Wagh continued his recent run of form which had seen him pass 50 in eight out of his last nine innings with some elegant drives.

But he was involved with a mix-up with Jefferson which saw the tall batsman run out for 44 on his first-class debut for Nottinghamshire.

Wagh passed 1,000 runs for the season before lunch but was then the first of four men to fall in 18 minutes as the hosts crashed to 168 for six.

The former Warwickshire batsman edged Caddick to Trescothick in the slips, and the veteran seamer immediately followed up with Justin Langer claiming David Hussey in the slips first ball.

Samit Patel gave Langer another catch off Charl Willoughby, who also accounted for Chris Read leg before wicket in his next over.

That left Nottinghamshire in a real mess but Fleming and Graeme Swann kept the scoreboard ticking before Cameron White removed Swann with a leg-break edged to Trescothick at slip.

All-rounder Gareth Clough was unable to mark his first championship appearance in two years with a score, as he was lbw to White for two, and Ian Blackwell swiftly had AJ Harris caught off bat and pad.

Fleming was 20 short of his century when Malik came to the wicket but marshalled the strike with real authority.

When he was lbw three balls after tea, Trescothick and Neil Edwards then tucked into the threadbare Nottinghamshire attack.

Edwards will reflect on a missed opportunity after cutting Swann to cover for 31 four overs before the close.