ROELOF van der Merwe brought an end to a see-saw final day of the pre-season fixture between Somerset and Worcestershire, striking an unbeaten half-century to nudge the home side over the finish line at the Cooper Associates County Ground.

Having dismissed their visitors for 116 and 238 on the opening two days, Somerset required 165 runs on the final day to secure victory.

Tom Banton (12) struck two boundaries in the first over played on Wednesday before falling to Charlie Morris (1-42), and it was 53-3 when Adam Finch (2-40) dismissed both Tom Abell (16) and Lewis Goldsworthy (16).

Opener Eddie Byrom was joined by Will Smeed, and together they reached 80-3 at lunch, with 91 more runs needed.

Somerset's position became more unsteady when they lost three wickets in the space of seven overs, with Byrom (17) being bowled by Ed Barnard (2-32), and Joe Leach (2-45) accounting for Smeed (25) and Lewis Gregory (16).

Wobbling at 107-6, the hosts needed a solid seventh-wicket partnership, and Van der Merwe and Sam Young provided it.

Somerset fans know very well how capable Van der Merwe is with the bat, and he played the aggressor to 20-year-old Young's more patient role as 54 runs were added in the next 15 overs.

Young departed for 15 (off 52 balls), being caught off Barnard at 161-7, but by that point victory was in sight, with only 10 more runs required.

Wicketkeeper Jamie Baird, 17, had a watching brief as Van der Merwe finished with exactly 50 (off 53 balls, with four fours and three sixes) to secure a three-wicket win.

Somerset have one more three-day pre-season match in Taunton - against Glamorgan (April 2-4) - before their County Championship opener next Thursday, April 8, away to Middlesex.