Hampshire made steady progress on the half day's action possible at Bath, as Will Kendall batted with control to carry his bat on the opening salvos of the Frizzell County Championship clash against Somerset.

With the bowlers' run-up behind the stumps at the pavilion end sodden after the heavy rain of the past few days, play was unable to commence until 3.10pm, with the aid of sawdust.

Unsurprisingly inserted on the soft and sometimes uneven wicket of a Recreation Ground that is only used for cricket during this five day `festival' week during the summer, Hampshire lost Derek Kenway with just six on the board when he edged the returning Richard Johnson to first slip, where Peter Bowler took the catch.

Johnson was extracting an uncomfortable amount of deliveries that either reared up or struggled to reach the keeper at the North Parade end of the ground. This made Kendall's innings of 70 not out was even more impressive.

The vice-captain was harsh on anything wide of the mark as he cut many of his eleven boundaries from 134 balls, while producing a steady resilience in defence.

He, and Giles White, rode the bounce well as the pair added 82 for the second wicket before the former Somerset man became the victim of a former Hampshire man, paceman Simon Francis.

Francis, who was released from the staff at the end of last season recovered well after his first three overs were pasted for six fours and 29 runs, until he enticed White into a firm edge as the ball swung away – Keith Dutch taking a good reaching catch.

White, with five fours from 70 balls, went for 33.

And Francis' day improved when he got one to `hit the North Parade end patch' and grub the ball past Smith's defence, removing his off stump. He seemed to apologise as Smith walked past him!

Neil Johnson found going fairly easy as he helped himself to an unbeaten 31, including a pulled six into the tented village off Parsons as the dark clouds and gloom descended over the ground as Hampshire closed on 149-3 from the 48 available overs.

Francis, despite his early treatment closed the day with the best figures for Somerset, taking 2-37 from nine overs while Richard Johnson was a handful in producing figures of 1-17 from 12.

© Hampshire Cricket