COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE, Taunton:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY THREE: Somerset 401-8 dec and 29-0, Nottinghamshire 356 (Somerset 8pts, Notts 6pts)
31 July - 3 August 2009

Read hit 20 boundaries in his 123-ball innings

Chris Read thwarted Somerset with 98 to ensure that Nottinghamshire avoided the follow-on on day three at Taunton.

Resuming on 73-3 in reply to the home side's 401-8, Notts looked up against it when they slumped to 147-6.

But Read added 75 with Ally Brown (28) and 116 with Mark Ealham (64 not out) as the visitors recovered to make 356.

Andrew Caddick took 3-96 on the day he announced his retirement, before Somerset closed the day on 29-0 in their second innings, a lead of 74.

With only one day left the game looks destined to end in a draw thanks to Read's heroics, although things might have been different had Marcus Trescothick not dropped the Nottinghamshire captain when he was on 41, with the score 222-7.

At that point Notts were still 30 away from avoiding the follow-on, but Read went on to face 123 balls and hit 20 fours before becoming one of Charl Willoughby's (4-71) four victims.

Notts had begun the day on 77-3 but soon lost nightwatchman Ryan Sidebottom leg before to Willoughby.

Loan recruit Scott Newman took his overnight 46 to 87 before he was trapped lbw by Arul Suppiah at 147-5, with Caddick immediately having Samit Patel caught down the leg side.

Brown played an unusually restrained innings before being caught behind off Max Waller, but Read and Ealham steered the visitors past the follow-on target.

Read finally fell to Waller with the score 338-8, with Alfonso Thomas and Willoughby soon wrapping up innings.

Trescothick and Suppiah got through to the close without losing a wicket before bad light forced an early close.

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