COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE, Taunton:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY TWO: Worcestershire 571, Somerset 184-3 (Worces 6pts, Somerset 1pt)
16-19 September 2009

Daryl Mitchell's 298 is the highest-ever scorer by a Worcestershire-born player

Daryl Mitchell hit the second-highest first-class score by an Englishman this year as Worcestershire continued to dominate against Somerset at Taunton.

Mitchell hit 298, the fifth highest individual score in the county's history, in Worcestershire's 571.

He was backed by teenage wicketkeeper Ben Cox who hit 61 on his debut.

Cox then claimed the prize wicket of ex-England opener Marcus Trescothick, stumped off Moeen Ali for 72 as the home side replied on 184-3.

Trescothick celebrated his appointment as Somerset's next captain by taking his tally of first-class runs past 1,800. But, just when he looked nailed on for a ninth Championship century of the summer, the country's leading scorer departed.

And departing skipper Justin Langer made 46 in what could prove his last four-day innings for Somerset.

But it was again bottom club Worcestershire's day.

Mitchell, whose previous Championship best was 134no against Glamorgan in 2006, had already improved his best first-class score to 140 against Oxford UCCE in April when he cashed in on Taunton's rich pastures to reach 232 on Wednesday night.

But he left that way behind - and looked capable of passing the season's highest score, 344, posted by Murray Goodwin for Sussex on this same ground last month, until being bowled just after lunch by Peter Trego.

As it was, his effort (he hit one six and 54 fours in his 380-ball marathon) ranks him third in the list of English cricket's top individual scorers this summer, all of which have come on the now notorious Taunton featherbed.

Prior to Goodwin's effort, James Hildreth hit 303 for Somerset against Warwickshire in April.

While Mitchell was disappointed to miss out on a triple century, young David Wheeldon would have been happy just with three figures.

Ben Cox enjoyed a dream first day on an English county cricket field

Wheeldon's hopes of a maiden Championship century ended in the third over of the day when he miscued a pull shot off Alfonso Thomas to David Stiff at midwicket.

But, while he failed to add to his overnight 87, there was an impressive 61 from 17-year-old debutant Cox.

After former Somerset player Gareth Andrew had fallen for a duck, fending Thomas to Worcesershire old boy Zander de Bruyn at third slip, it proved a brief respite for the bowlers as Bromsgrove School pupil Cox joined Mitchell in another run spree.

They put on 124 for the seventh wicket before Mitchell's amazing innings came to an end when, out of the blue, his middle stump was knocked back by Trego.

Cox's promising knock spanned 116 deliveries and featured nine fours and a six.

He was also bowled by Trego in his next over, this time the off stump being dislodged.

And Trego made it a hat-trick of such dismissals when he quickly snared Matt Mason too.

Richard Jones smashed three fours to stretch Worcestershire's total to 571.

And, having reached 184-3 in reply, with Hildreth and midweek one-day centurion de Bruyn set, second-placed Somerset now have another 238 to get on Friday to avoid the indignity of having to follow on against already-relegated Worcestershire.

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