Specsavers County Championship
Day two
Hampshire 162 all out & 293 all out
Somerset 197 all out & 39-0

DOM Bess finished with career-best figures of 7-117 but it's on a knife edge in Taunton, as Hampshire set Somerset a target of 259 to win their County Championship encounter.

The hosts endured a frustrating morning at the Cooper Associates County Ground, as they resumed on 157-5 but lost their remaining five wickets for 40 runs.

Kyle Abbott and Liam Dawson tore into the Somerset order, as Abbott dismissed Lewis Gregory (4) and Jack Leach (0), and Dawson took out Steve Davies (22).

Gareth Berg then took care of the tail, removing Craig Overton (12) and Bess (12), as Somerset failed to build on their bowlers' brilliance yesterday - taking a mere 35-run lead into the second innings.

Hampshire openers Michael Carberry and Dawson soon passed that marker, and looked comfortable at 56-0 at lunch.

Carberry reached his half-century but then departed for 51, caught by Tom Abell off Bess.

Spinner Bess then took two wickets off consecutive balls, dismissing Dawson (33) and George Bailey (0) to leave the visitors on 85-3.

They recovered somewhat, only for Bess to return with a vengeance and account for Rilee Rossouw (13) and James Vince (19).

At 125-5 things looked bleak for Hampshire, and Leach bowled Lewis McManus for 140-6 and his seventh wicket of the match, but Berg then went on the rampage.

He hit 49 off 39 balls to power the away side past 200, before he was eventually bowled by Bess, and Sean Ervine (27) and Kyle Abbott (33) posted useful scores until they were dismissed by Jamie Overton.

Fittingly Bess took the final wicket - his seventh, and 10th of the match, as Mason Crane (29) was caught by Jamie Overton at deep mid-on.

But the Hampshire tail's wag had meant a target of 259 to win - very competitive given the first innings scores.

Dean Elgar and Marcus Trescothick opened Somerset's second innings, and crucially they made it to the end of the day without loss, reaching 39-0 (Elgar 17* and Trescothick 22*) to leave the hosts needing 220 for victory.