Steffan Jones, Alfonso Thomas and Charl Willoughby bowled Somerset into a strong position on the second day against Kent at Taunton.

The trio of seamers ended with three wickets each as the visitors were bowled out for 208, having begun the day on 13-3.

That gave Somerset a lead of 219, but Justin Langer decided against enforcing the follow-on and Kent fought back in the final session, reducing the home side to 129-5.

Langer himself was unbeaten on 65 and the lead by the close was 348. Somerset will look to extend that beyond the 400-mark tomorrow.

Jones told somersetcountycc.co.uk: "It had been a big effort to bowl Kent out so cheaply on a flat pitch and it was decided not to enforce the follow on so we could have a rest.

"We know it is going to be difficult dismissing them for a second time and we need to have all our reserves of energy to set about it.

"Hopefully the ball will swing for us because that is going to be very important. Ideally, we need to bat until around lunchtime tomorrow and then give ourselves plenty of time to take the necessary wickets."

Kent's first innings total had progressed 41 when Martin van Jaarsfeld, on 12, followed a ball bowled across him by Willoughby and edged to wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter.

Thomas then had James Tredwell and Matthew Walker lbw, both for 23, to make it 90-6 before Geraint Jones edged a good delivery from Ben Phillips to Kieswetter and departed for 25.

Phillips then took a stunning one-handed gully catch, diving to his right,  to dismiss Yasir Arafat off Jones for eight.

It was 158-9 when Justin Kemp (25) offered a sharp chance to first slip, well taken by Langer, to give Jones his third wicket.

But Ryan McLaren and Robbie Joseph put the earlier Kent batsman to shame with a half-century stand for the last wicket.

McLaren hit 6 fours in scoring his 34 at a run a ball, while Joseph hit four boundaries in making an unbeaten 23. The stand ended when Langer took another catch at first slip to get rid of McLaren.

Somerset's second innings got off to a bad start when Marcus Trescothick was run out by Joe Denly answering a call for a single to cover. Soon it was 22-2 as Zander de Bruyn edged Joseph to van Jaarsfeld at second slip.

James Hildreth made 29 before surrendering his wicket with a loose cut to gully off McLaren and when Peter Trego nicked Martin Saggers to wicketkeeper Jones it was 102-4.

Kent were back in the game when Ian Blackwell tamely chipped a return catch to James Tredwell and fell without scoring. The pitch was still a good one and Somerset's lead was 322.

Langer stood firm, reaching his half-century off 84 balls, with 5 fours, and holding his side together. Kieswetter helped see out the last ten overs and the pair will be keen to extend their sixth-wicket stand in the morning.

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