Michael Hussey and Russell Warren shared a third-wicket stand of 287 as relegation-threatened Northants reached 382-5 on the opening day of the CricInfo Championship match with Somerset at Taunton.

Hussey's unbeaten 192 has taken him within nine of being the first batsman to pass 2,000 runs in an English season since Mark Ramprakash achieved the feat six years ago.

It was his fifth Championship hundred of the season and the Western Australian has also passed fifty on ten other occasions.

Warren's 144 was his third century in six innings and he played equally attractively in his 256-ball knock which contained 24 fours and two sixes.

Their partnership has put Northants on the way to maximum batting bonus points and given them renewed hope of overhauling Lancashire and moving out of the third relegation place.

Somerset, who need five points to be sure of finishing second, must have thought it would be their day as Steffan Jones and Richard Johnson had Alec Swann and Jeff Cook caught behind by Rob Turner inside eight overs.

But Hussey and Warren responded with some glorious strokeplay on a fast and true County Ground pitch.

Hussey, who drove most of his boundaries through the offiside, needed one slice of luck.

It came in the first over after lunch when, on 56, he was dropped by Keith Parsons at slip off Johnson.

Both players reached three figures with a boundary and the pair had been together for 77 overs when Warren was caught by Turner down the legside off Keith Dutch.

Jones then had Tony Penberthy brilliantly caught one-handed by Turner and Graeme Swann lbw on the back foot.

© CricInfo Ltd.