County Championship - day two (close)

Warwickshire 146 v Somerset 282 & 75-2

JACK Leach claimed his second five-wicket haul of the season as Somerset put themselves in the driving seat on day two of their County Championship match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

After Tom Abell had earlier played a captain's knock of 82 to lead his side to 282 on a testing wicket, Leach took 5-50 and was aided by the in-form Craig Overton (4-33) as the hosts were dismissed for 146.

Somerset lost Eddie Byrom (4) and George Bartlett (0) early in their second innings and will resume tomorrow morning on 75-2, a lead of 211.

The visitors started the day on 203-4 but soon lost Steve Davies for 46 as the wicketkeeper went back to a Jeetan Patel ball that was fuller than anticipated and provided a catch for Andy Umeed at silly point.

Then came a familiar flurry of wickets as Peter Trego (6), Craig Overton (5), Jack Leach (2) and Dom Bess (2) each fell for single figure scores to leave Somerset on 256-9.

Abell held firm, however, and hit nine boundaries and a six in his 82 before he was the last man out, clean bowled by Sukhjit Singh, having guided Somerset to 282.

As has been the case so often this season, Craig Overton led by example with the new ball and removed both Warwickshire openers within the first 11 overs.

Andy Umeed (9) was first to go, edging to James Hildreth at first slip, and Dominic Sibley (4) followed his partner to the pavilion after a loose drive landed in the hands of Jack Leach, who then took centre stage.

The spinner started his spell by removing former England pair Jonathan Trott (4) and Ian Bell (14), the latter sharply caught by Marcus Trescothick at slip.

When the 26-year-old then had Tim Ambrose caught by Eddie Byrom, Warwickshire were 40-5 and the visitors had their tails up.

Matthew Lamb and Keith Barker momentarily halted their momentum, adding 53 for the sixth wicket, but again Leach was the man to break through as Lamb chipped to Tom Abell at cover to depart for 26.

Fellow spinner Dom Bess then got in on the act, clean bowling Jeetan Patel (5) with a peach as the hosts went into the tea interval on 123-7, still 10 runs short of avoiding the follow-on.

Warwickshire did manage to avoid that particular ignominy, but the innings was wrapped up swiftly as Overton returned to trap Keith Barker lbw for a well-made 52 before taking out Chris Wright's middle stump.

Leach had the final word, tempting Sukhjit Singh down the pitch to provide Steve Davies with a regulation stumping as he finished with excellent figures of 5-50 from 27.3 overs.

Somerset had added 17 to their first innings lead of 136 when Eddie Byrom (4) and debutant George Bartlett (0) fell to successive Ryan Sidebottom deliveries.

Experienced pair Marcus Trescothick (36*) and James Hildreth (24*) saw the visitors through to the close - the former reaching his highest score since the reverse fixture against Warwickshire in mid-May - and Somerset will now aim to turn a good lead into an imposing one through the course of tomorrow.