1.30pm After two days under varying shades of grey, blue skies appaeared over the Rose Bowl this morning, reports Mike Averis, but the start was still delayed by 30 minutes - hence the late lunch - while the Blotter soaked up the puddles on the covers caused by overnight rain and the wicket got a decent airing.
With Nottinghamshire and Durham sitting this round out, but 71 overs lost in the first two days, Somerset had to push on, but were held up initially by some steady bowling from James Tomlinson, leading wicket-taker in the first division, and Dimitri Mascarenhas. Tomlinson added two more victims - Arul Suppiah, surprised to be given lbw and Zander de Bruyn, who dragged on the fifth ball he facesd - but it was the new boy in the Hampshire ranks, 18-year-old Liam Dawson, who struck the biggest blow of the morning, having Marcus Trescothick caught for 65.
Dawson, playing only his second championship match of the season, had undergone quite a rigorous examination from the former England batsman - as had most of the bowlers - and Trescothick appeared to be gliding along quite nicely. The only half chance was an edge well wide of slip off Imran Tahir and Trescothick, was adding to his overnight 19 with increasing confidence in the company of James Hildreth.
That edge had brought up his seventh half century of the season - to add to the three 100s - and Dawson had just been put into the crowd at long on when Trescothick mistimed a sweep in the same over, giving Chris Benham all the time in the world to get under the ball at mid-wicket. By lunch, Somerset were 144 for three, still 168 short but with Hildreth still pushing on, 45 not out.
2.03pm Lancashire are up against it here, at eight for three at lunch after Kent had scored 283, reports Paul Weaver at Canterbury. And it is worse than that because Stuart Law, the captain, is suffering back spasms and has been unable to bat so far. "We're working on him and we hope he will bat this afternoon," cricket manager Mike Watkinson said. "It only happened this morning." They need Law now like they rarely have.
This is a really competitive game which both sides badly need to win. Kent resumed this morning on 241 for six with Geraint Jones unbeaten on 80. Lancashire broke through in the third over of the morning when Amjad Khan was late on one from Glen Chapple and was lbw, without addition, for 16. That was 246 for eight and there was then a useful stand of 33 between Jones and Robbie Joseph, who also made 16 before he fell to Dominic Cork.
Jones continued to play some excellent shots, driving especially well when Sajid Mahmood pitched it up. He reached his sixth career century for Kent and his seventh in all but he has yet to pass 108. He had got 106 here when he was last lbw padding up. When Lancashire batted the much improved Joseph bowled Paul Horton middle stump first ball, via the inside edge. And in Joseph's next over he had the returning Mal Loye caught at slip. That was two for two and it was six for three when Mark Chilton was beaten for pace and was lbw to Amjad.
4.15pm Somerset finally made it to the top of the first division, but how long they stay there for is anyone's guess, reports Mike Averis. With just four sessions left in the game they are still 65 behind with four first innings wickets standing and, so far, the wicket that was expected to favour spin - and Imran Tahir- is still behaving itself.
There is the odd low bounce, but it takes a considerable leap of imagination to see either side winning from here, especially with more showers predicted.
The Pakistani wrist spinner, who came into the match with 22 wickets from his first three matches for Hampshire and three "five fors", is into his 26th over and - but for the wicket of Carl Kieswetter, caught bat-pad on the stroke of a delayed tea - would have been underwhelmed by his performance.
There have been far too many loose deliveries, one of which claimed the wicket of Wes Durston when Somerset were on the brink of 200 and the batting point which took them ahead of Nottinghamshire. Durston simply swept and missed an over pitched ball as he and Ian Blackwell looked to up the pace.
By tea Blackwell was on 52, the third Somerset batsman to reach a half century. Marcus Trescothick fell to Liam Dawson before lunch and the 18-year-old also got rid of James Hildreth, run out by athletic fielding and a direct hit from cover point.
5 pm Kent are batting again here even though, after bowling out Lancashire for a miserable 125 in 36.5 overs to gain a first innings lead of 158, they were entitled to enforce the follow-on.
There is more than two days left in this match but it was still a surprise that Rob Key, the Kent captain, did not decide to bowl again. His bowlers are only just warmed up and there is rain forecast tomorrow and Saturday. Especially Saturday. Key is normally a good captain but on this occasion his decision-making has been about as good as Lancashire's batting.
The most impressive bowler today has been Robbie Joseph, 26, who must be in line for an England Lions tour after a number of impressive performances this summer. There's nothing new about Joseph - Kent first spotted him ten years ago - but it is only this season that he has looked the part.
This has been the good side of Key's captaincy. He has really backed the fast bowler this season and the bowler has been one of the sharpest on the circuit as a result. But it was the considerably older Martin Saggers who ended the Lancashire innings by taking the last four wickets.
After lunch, Francois Du Plessis edged to third slip and when Luke Sutton was caught at first Lancashire were 32-5. Steven Croft was lbw to Joseph without offering a stroke and then Law, who came in at eight, was caught behind as he pushed forward.
Cork was lbw first ball and when Gary Keedy clipped a ball from Saggers to square-leg Lancashire, at 79-9, looked a shambles. It improved when Mahmood (33) and Chapple (44) added 46 for the last wicket in just 4.3 overs. They failed to avoid the follow-on figure by nine runs but in the end it didn't matter.
Key has just got out and Kent are 14-1. Key didn't look happy with the decision. But he shouldn't have been batting anyway.
