Warwickshire’s charge is checked by Gregory

The visitors’ new-look seam attack looked to have taken control when reducing their hosts to 136-7 shortly after tea, Ed Barnard (3-54), Hasan Ali (2-62) and Chris Rushworth (1-51) all taking wickets on debut.

But Gregory and Josh Davey had other ideas. Somerset’s eighth-wicket pair added 105 in 25.1 overs with some attractive counter-attacking cricket to help their side to 269- at the close.

Gregory contributed an unbeaten 65, off 105 balls, with nine fours, while Davey lost nothing by comparison, hitting seven boundaries in his 42 before falling lbw to Oliver Hannon-Dalby (2-65) with the second new ball.

After no play on the first day due to a saturated outfield, umpires Alex Wharf and Rob Bailey made a 10.30am inspection and ruled that the game could start at noon.

Gregory, acting Somerset captain while Tom Abell completes recovery from a rib injury, won the toss and backed his side’s new top order, including debutants Sean Dickson, Cameron Bancroft and Tom Kohler-Cadmore, by electing to bat first under clear blue skies.

Rushworth impressed during an initial five-over spell from the River End and was unlucky not to claim a wicket when former Durham team-mate Dickson was dropped by wicketkeeper Michael Burgess, diving in front of first slip.

The error did not prove expensive as, without addition to his score, Dickson connected sweetly with a drive off Hannon-Dalby, but directed the ball straight to Barnard.

Barnard removed Tom Lammonby to leave Somerset 52-2 at lunch.

But by tea, the hosts were reeling at 128-5 and then 136-7

But their spirits were lifted by Gregory and Davey, who capitalised on a tiring attack with a flurry of positive shots all around the wicket to give Somerset some momentum going into day three.

Warwickshire’s Alex Davies was pleased with his side’s efforts.

“From our perspective, if you’d offered us around 270 for eight having lost the toss and they’d chosen to bat, we would have definitely taken it,” he said. “It’s a little bittersweet that we had them 130-odd for seven and then they had a nice partnership which just held us at bay

“I see it as the first two sessions were ours and Somerset edged the third one.

“We had them on the rack, but the ball got softer and they developed a partnership. Credit to them, they batted well.

“The pitch has stayed about the same throughout, but as the ball gets older it becomes harder to shut the batters down.

“We did really well and then as the ball got older into the 60th and 70th overs it got difficult.”