Nottinghamshire’s bowlers endured a long and frustrating day against a rampant Somerset top order, who reached a highly-impressive 445-2 declared on the third day of their LV= County Championship match against Somerset at Trent Bridge.

Three visiting players got into three figures, with Nick Compton making an unbeaten 204, Arul Suppiah contributed 124 and James Hildreth reached an unbeaten 102.

The only wicket to fall was that of Suppiah, who became Paul Franks’ 500th first class victim.

“It’s something I’m very proud of,” said the 33 year old afterwards. “It’s come on a difficult day when nothing much has gone for us. It’s more of a solace to take away – it’s certainly a day I’ll remember and something I’ll certainly look back on in a few years but it was in stark contrast to what has been a difficult day.”

Notts had twelve overs to bat at the end of the day and they survived them with both Alex Hales and Neil Edwards remaining together on 47-0.

“We know what we’ve got to do with the bat,” said Franks. “The captain has made it very clear to us all and we’ve got to take that responsibility and perform tomorrow.”

Picking up from their overnight score of 78-1, Arul Suppiah and Nick Compton began the day in a very selective, watchful mode.

The first 45 minutes produced only 17 runs but then both batsmen began to pick up the tempo, as the first boundary arrived.

Compton reached his own fifty with a six off Patel and then Suppiah hit the spinner for two more – the first to bring up the 150 and the second to give Somerset the overall lead.

Suppiah’s century arrived from 176 balls but he still had an appetite for more and sped away from his partner.
Despite their stodgy start to the session, exactly 100 runs had been added by the luncheon interval, with the pair having added 166 together in total.

They quickly went about their work in the early part of the afternoon, posting another fifty together before the breakthrough came.

Paul Franks’ first wicket for the county had arrived on his debut in 1996. 198 matches later, he claimed his 500th with the dismissal of Suppiah, who edged to Hales at first slip.

In his next over it could have been a double celebration but Neil Edwards just couldn’t scoop up another edge, this time from the bat of new man, James Hildreth – the ball just dying to hit the turf in front of the second slip.

At 240-2 the rain began to fall steadily and the players were ushered from the field, taking an early tea before returning at 3.30pm.

Only two deliveries needed to be bowled before Chris Read was given the option of a second new ball and he immediately accepted the invitation, bringing Fletcher and Phillips back into the attack.

The expected clatter of wickets failed to materialise as the runs began to come at an ever-increasing rate with both batsmen feeding on anything short or wide.

Compton’s ton arrived in 241deliveries as he and Hildreth caressed the ball to all parts of the lush Trent Bridge surface.

There were few opportunities on ad decent surface, although Gurney was denied his first wicket for the county when Franks spilled Hildreth at third man.

The 400 came up in 106.2 overs, ensuring maximum points for the visitors. In contrast, Notts failed to claim a single bonus point from the contest.

Hildreth reached his hundred (112 balls) shortly before Compton reached his double (322 balls), at which point the declaration came, with Somerset 283 ahead.

Alex Hales and Neil Edwards took Notts to 47-0 at the close.