Craig Overton's late knock gives Somerset a commanding lead

Craig Overton hit an unbeaten 95 from 111 balls as Somerset tightened their grip on the second day of their Vitality County Championship First Division match against Nottinghamshire at Taunton.

Resuming on 116 for one, the hosts were bowled out for 454 to build a first-innings lead of 261 from 246 for seven. Sean Dickson made 72, Tom Banton 83, Michael Pretorius 77 and nightwatchman Josh Davey 45, while leg-spinner Calvin Harrison took four for 93.

In reply, Notts were 38 for one in their second innings, with Ben Slater falling to a brilliant running catch by Dickson at mid-wicket off Davey, and still trailing on 223.

It took until the last over before lunch for Somerset to get the 78 runs they needed to take the first innings lead, as the Notts seam attack performed well under cloudless skies.

Dickson had added just two to his overnight 70 when he attempted to drive a wide delivery from Luke Fletcher. He made good contact but directed the ball to Jack Haynes, who took an excellent low catch at cover.

Tom Lammonby retired with 241 runs in three Championship innings. He and Davey added 41 for the third wicket before he fell leg before to Brett Hutton, who played across the line for 17.

Lewis Goldsworthy had made just three when he edged a defensive shot from Lyndon James to wicketkeeper Joe Clarke and Hutton was unlucky not to add Banton to the list of batting victims, getting the outside edge of his bat three times in one over.

But all the while, Davey stood firm and looked in little trouble as he progressed to 44 not out at lunch with eight fours. Banton survived the early scares to remain unbeaten on 13, a single off the miserly Fletcher giving Somerset the lead with six first-innings wickets in hand. They resumed at lunch on 194 for four from 63 overs, with Fletcher taking one for 36 from 17 overs.

Those figures took a hit in the experienced seamer's first over after lunch when Banton hit him for three fours off the same number of balls. The England T20 international, who has been working hard to establish himself in red ball cricket, was clearly growing in confidence.

He lost Davey, bowled between bat and pad by Harrison's third ball of the day, with the total on 218. By then the nightwatchman had faced 104 balls and hit 8 fours.

Notts fought back. James Rew, on 13, was beaten at pace by a short ball from James and top-edged a catch to Haynes at square leg. Lewis Gregory then fell lbw to a quicker delivery from Harrison, having only contributed a single.

At 246 for seven, Somerset were only 53 ahead. But that was as good as it got for the visitors as Banton reached his fifty off 80 balls, hitting seven fours, while Overton, fresh from a half-century against Surrey at The Oval, looked in fine form from the start of his innings.

At 262 for seven, Notts took the new ball. Overton greeted them with successive boundaries off Hutton, a magnificent straight drive and a dazzling cut. Banton had blossomed from early insecurity and it was a surprise when he departed, chipping a low catch to mid-on off Paterson, having faced 158 balls and taken his boundary tally to 11. Overton's 67-ball fifty was one of the best shots of the day. He was unbeaten on 57 at tea with Somerset 347 for eight, leading by 154.

The final session saw Overton and Pretorius turn the screw with a 95-ball century stand. They had extended it to 139 when Pretorius, who had made an impressive 52-ball fifty and hit two big sixes off Harrison, was bowled by the occasional off-spin of Matt Montgomery in what proved to be his only over.

Overton, who had hit nine fours and a six, was denied the chance of a second first-class century when last man Shoaib Bashir inexplicably tried to slog Harrison and took an easy catch. His clearly exasperated partner ran off the field without acknowledging the well-deserved applause.