Somerset will go into the final day requiring just two more runs to save the follow-on in Canterbury after the hosts dropped four catches and missed a couple of stumpings in this tense CricInfo Championship clash between the second and third placed sides.

Replying to Kent's 451 for seven declared built around a career-best unbeaten 208 by David Fulton, Somerset reached 300 for nine by third day stumps and need just a couple more to make Kent bat again after a gallant unbeaten 55 from 82 balls by former Middlesex all-rounder Keith Dutch.

The visitors lost five wickets in the afternoon session and at 86 for five looked odds on to follow-on, but Kent gave two lives to Piran Holloway (20), one to Mark Lathwell (63) when on six, another to Rob Turner (29) on 18 and then to tail-ender Steffan Jones that cost a further five runs.

Amongst all the fielding mayhem there was some brutal hitting from Richard Johnson who hit two sixes in his 34-ball innings of 46 and measured half-centuries from Jamie Cox and Mark Lathwell, but all three fell to the wiles of former England spinner Min Patel who returned season's best figures of seven for 109.

The day ended in further controversy when, with three required to save the follow-on, last man Matthew Bulbeck appeared to be caught low at second slip by Andrew Symonds, but despite the appeals of bowler Mark Ealham and consultation between the umpires John Steele and Vanburn Holder, Bulbeck was given not out.

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