Day one - close

Yorkshire 202, Somerset 41-3

SOMERSET'S top order frailties were exposed yet again late on day one of the County Championship match against Yorkshire, with the hosts reduced to 41-3 in response to the visitors' 202 all out.

Veteran seamer Ryan Sidebottom claimed all three wickets for Yorkshire, who had earlier recovered from 95-6 during an innings in which Jamie Overton (3-30) was the standout bowler.

Having won the toss and opted to bat, experienced opening pair Adam Lyth and Alex Lees got the visitors off to a solid start as Lewis Gregory and Craig Overton probed away with the new ball.

Lyth looked in good touch on his way to 24 and hit Bess for a four and a six in the spinner's first over, but the former England man perished in the next over as he guided a Jamie Overton delivery straight to Gregory in the gully.

Bess, meanwhile, was recovering well at the River End after an expensive first over and got his just reward when a loose Alex Lees drive saw him well caught at cover by Tom Abell.

The quickfire double breakthrough left Yorkshire on 34-2, but Australian Peter Handscomb and the in-form Gary Ballance saw the visitors through to lunch without too much cause for alarm.

Breaking the partnership before it truly blossomed was key for Somerset after the interval, and Leach was the man to do just that as he bowled Ballance round his legs for 19.

Jamie Overton then took centre stage, first pinning Handscomb in front for 25 before combining with his brother to dismiss Leaning shortly afterwards - a mistimed pull providing a simple catch for Craig at square leg.

Not to be outdone, Leach had Matthew Waite caught at slip by Marcus Trescothick in the following over to complete Yorkshire's slide from 79-2 to 95-6 and, after a recovery of sorts courtesy of Hodd and Azeem Rafiq, Craig Overton picked up a deserved wicket of his own as the latter played on to his own stumps.

An array of inventive shots from Hodd either side of Patterson's dismissal took the visiting wicketkeeper to a 55-ball half century (9x4, 1x6), and it needed a fine diving catch low at mid-off by Tom Abell to dismiss the 33-year-old for 59.

Two tailenders at the opposite ends of their career then prevented Somerset wrapping the innings up quickly, as 21-year-old Carver combined with Sidebottom, 18 years his senior, to put on 31 for the last wicket.

Their admirable resistance was brought to an end in the second over of the evening session when Carver was hit on the toe by a full Bess delivery and adjudged lbw, leaving Somerset 21 overs to see out.

The hosts made a nightmare start with the bat when Dean Elgar departed for 6 in the fifth over, and Abell followed him back to the pavilion just two balls later for a duck as Ryan Sidebottom got Yorkshire off to a flyer with the new ball.

Somerset's captain, who edged behind prodding forward, will be particularly disappointed having seemingly played himself back into form at Lord's.

Sidebottom's day improved yet further shortly afterwards when Trescothick played a loose shot and was clean bowled, leaving Somerset reeling on 18-3.

James Hildreth and Steve Davies, both of whom are in need of runs, combined to see out the day and will begin in the morning on 21 and 6 respectively.

Each of the pair need to kick on tomorrow, particularly given the uncertainty over whether Championship debutant Adam Hose will bat - the 24-year-old spent most of the day off the field with an as yet unspecified injury.