Somerset ended the second day of their championship match against Sussex at Hove on 380 for 8, a first innings lead of 43.

At the end of the day coach Kevin Shine told me: "Overall I'm happy with our performance, lots of positive things have come out of the day. "

He continued: "Peter Bowler played a great knock, and was very disappointed to get out just six runs short of his hundred. He's a true professional, and didn't like getting out the way that he did."

The coach went on: " The boys played well to get that total. There were some good individual knocks. Both the openers Jamie Cox and Matt Wood played really well to put on over a hundred, it was just a pity that we lost some cheap wickets at the end of the day."

What were the plans for the morning I asked. Kevin told me: "We will bat on for as long as we can. Both Richard Johnson and Matt Bulbeck can score runs."

Had the coach asked for a replacement twelfth man to be sent up for the Sussex second innings I asked. Kevin Shine told me: "Simon Francis will field, and if needs be I will be on standby to do the twelfth man duties!"

© SOMERSET