SOMERSET'S seam attack gave further evidence in their case to be the best in the country, fighting back strongly on the second day of the Bob Willis Trophy Central Group encounter with Worcestershire at Blackfinch New Road.

The winner of the match will be well placed to go through to the final of the competition, and the home side were threatening to post a formidable total after reaching 123-1 shortly after the lunch interval, in reply to Somerset’s first innings of 251 all out.

The tables were turned in spectacular after an afternoon break for rain, however, as nine wickets tumbled for 77 runs in 20 overs post tea.

Somerset went into the game needing a maximum of 19 points to wrap up their place in the final at Lord's, and already have five bonus points - so outright victory here is guaranteed to see them through.

Not that things were looking so rosy when Worcestershire, having resumed on 14-0, proceeded to reach 123-1 - with the only wicket to fall being that of Daryl Mitchell (31), trapped lbw by Lewis Gregory.

Jake Libby and Tom Fell put together a fine second-wicket partnership through into the afternoon session, but after a rain delay Jack Brooks made the breakthrough, clean bowling Fell (26).

Gregory accounted for Jack Haynes (4) and Brooks returned to take the key wicket of Jake Libby (58), as wicketkeeper Steve Davies took a fine low catch, and suddenly the hosts were 128-4.

Then it was the turn of the usual suspects - Craig Overton and Josh Davey - to run through the rest of the home batting order.

Riki Wessels went for an aggressive approach, scoring 32 off 36 balls, but soon became one of Overton's victims as he claimed 3-40.

Davey did the rest, taking 3-32 to pass 102 First Class wickets and dismiss Worcestershire for 200 - giving Somerset a first-innings lead of 51 runs.

Overton and Davey now have a combined total of 47 wickets this season, and such is the potency of Somerset’s attack in 2020 that Worcestershire’s total represents the highest conceded by the West Country club in four-day cricket this summer.

The visitors lost Ben Green for a duck, but Tom Lammonby (9*) and Tom Abell (7*) took them to 16-1, at which point bad light stopped play for the day.

Somerset head coach Jason Kerr said afterwards: “All the year the pace attack have been outstanding, and I’ve said many times we pride ourselves on trying to upskill time and time again - and they delivered.

“We bowled really well in the morning session and they [Worcestershire] are allowed to play well.

"We said at lunch 'let’s keep coming' and, when we get the break, things will change - and it changed quickly.

“It is a wicket that the partnerships have shown once you are in you can bat on this surface, but in the morning we stuck to our task pretty well and in the afternoon we got the rewards.

“Craig Overton has had an outstanding summer, there is no doubt, but we pride ourselves on ensuring we work as a unit and try and create pressure from both ends and we try and stop the scoreboard and we’ve done that all season.

“The pitch is losing pace but I think Leachy [spinner Jack Leach] will come into the game as we get into the fourth innings.”