David Thompson marked his late call-up with a career best performance as Essex dismissed Somerset for 246 on the opening day of their championship clash at Chelmsford.

The 23-year-old fast bowler, playing in only his third game at this level, took four for 46 after getting the nod to play less than an hour before the start.

Thompson was brought in because it was felt that Mark Ilott, who underwent a cartilage operation last month, needed a run-out with the Second XI to rediscover his sharpness.

So while he was playing at Saffron Walden, Thompson seized the opportunity to spearhead the county to a maximum haul of bonus points.

His hostility proved too much for the lower order as he helped bring Somerset's resistance to a swift end by removing Graham Rose, Keith Parsons and Adrian Pierson during a 20-ball spell.

Thompson had earlier got rid of Rob Turner with the help of a superb juggling catch by Nasser Hussain at short midwicket as Essex fought back strongly following a rapid start by the visitors after they had been put in.

Jamie Cox and Marcus Trescothick had 63 on the board by the middle of the eleventh over before the latter became an lbw victim of Ricky Anderson.

After lunch Ashley Cowan struck twice in an over. Cox departed leg before on the back foot when one short of his half century and Peter Bowler fell in similar fashion.

Then an absolutely brilliant catch by Barry Hyam accounted for Mike Burns.

Thompson's removal of Turner left the visitors on 155 for five and much depending on Piran Holloway. He responded with a battling innings of 60, containing seven boundaries, which carried Somerset beyond the 200 mark.

However, after Paul Grayson had him snapped up in the slips by Stuart Law Thompson re-emerged to gain lbw verdicts against Rose and Parsons and then forced Pierson to drag a delivery into his stumps.

In between those successes off-spinner Peter Such had Phil Jones caught behind - the last three wickets going down for just one run.

It all added up to a good day's work for Essex, one cut short by bad light with them four without loss in reply.

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