Somerset make amends

James Hildreth pulls but was dropped twice in three balls at third slip by Richard Pyrah

Justin Langer and Arul Suppiah both made half-centuries to give title challengers Somerset the edge over Yorkshire on a gloomy first day of the LV Championship Division One match at Scarborough.

When the second of two afternoon breaks for bad light ended play for the day, Somerset had reached 160 for three in 44 overs after being put in to bat.

Yorkshire, who need every point they can muster in order to steer clear of the relegation zone, did not help their cause by fluffing three chances.

James Hildreth was dropped twice at third slip in the space of three balls and later survived a missed stumping opportunity.

Yorkshire had to make a late change to their line-up when Andrew Gale's elbow locked during the warm-up, Richard Pyrah taking his place, and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan could not be considered because of a knee injury.

Captain Darren Gough included himself in Yorkshire's side for his last home appearance before retiring at the end of the season, while Somerset brought back Gough's former England fast-bowling colleague Andy Caddick who was recently given a new one-year county contract.

A wet outfield caused a half-hour delay to the start and Marcus Trescothick was out to the first ball.

Matthew Hoggard pitched wide outside off stump and an expansive drive resulted in a catch for wicketkeeper Gerard Brophy.

Langer soon showed himself to be in dashing form and he progressed almost exclusively in boundaries, the majority of them through the covers.

He was particularly severe on Gough when he joined the attack and he struck him for five boundaries from six balls, the fourth one taking him to his fifty off 71 deliveries with 12 fours.

Somerset opener Arul Suppiah drives on his way to 58 not out before bad light curtailed play on day one

But the arrival of leg-spinner Adil Rashid quickly brought about his downfall for 55.

Langer aimed a big blow to leg, only to spoon a catch into the waiting hands of Hoggard at point, to end a stand of 87 in 21 overs for the second wicket.

Zander de Bruyn became Rashid's next victim when he was lbw attempting to sweep before he had scored, and Somerset went in to lunch on 107 for three, Suppiah having carefully negotiated the morning session for 29.

Gough had hurt his left hand when he stopped a return drive from Suppiah and went for a precautionary x-ray during the interval but was able to return to action later on.

On the resumption, Deon Kruis had Hildreth dropped twice in three balls by Pyrah at third slip, the first chance going through his hands for four and the second, a more difficult chance, for a single.

Bad light brought a 39-minute delay after which Hildreth should have been stumped for 26 when he charged down the pitch at Rashid and failed to connect.

Brophy, however, could not hold the ball and Hildreth was able to scramble back into his crease.

Suppiah's patient half-century came off 112 balls with eight fours and he had made 58 and Hildreth 29 when the light closed in, the fourth-wicket pair having put on an unbroken 69 in 20 overs.