Intriguing finale beckons at Taunton after Northants battle Somerset and the clock on day three

SAM DALLING AT TAUNTON: Somerset require nine more of those to claim their first win of the summer, although the pitch is fairly sedate. Plus, should Northamptonshire add another 91 to their overnight total, a fourth innings will be required

It was a strange passage of play. Suddenly protocol was dispensed with and a separate game broke out. Tea was approaching and Somerset were, in the context of the match, ascending. The second new ball was carefully being unwrapped, it's not-so-environmentally-friendly packaging dispensed with. It was anticipating action in half a dozen overs.

Yet, despite having the home side six wickets down, Northamptonshire's immediate focus was not on preventing a substantial first innings lead, nor was it on earning the remaining bowling bonus points on offer. No, Sam Whiteman's anxious glances at the various scoreboards - of which there are several filling the gaps between Somerset's pavilion plethora - were honed in a few pixels below the wickets column.

Why? Well, because since late on the second day, Northamptonshire's over rate was two behind where it ought to have been. For the uninitiated - which, until tea time included the author (a nod of thanks to scorers Polly Rhodes and Terry Owen for the 'Idiot's Guide' over a brew) - the requirement is to bowl 16 in an hour. Two minutes grace is given for every batter to fall, while the umpires have discretion to offer additional clusters of seconds for injuries, drinks, and other miscellaneous interruptions.

All that is communicated via the radio waves to those up in the score box, at which point numbers are plugged into a spreadsheet and a figure is produced. The decimal points are ignored. Should, when the game concludes, there be a minus sign before that whole number, a point is lost per over behind. And just like that, all those hard fought points can be lost by meandering quicks labouring back to their far away marks.

^{Saif Zaib was brought into the attack as Northants tried to improve their over rate [Harry Trump/Getty Images]}

Now there were once days when the over rate was averaged across the course of the season. That led to some fairly farcical sessions where batters agreed to pat it back, bowlers promised not to threaten, and 180 balls an hour could be achieved. Quite a rate, that. Times have changed, though and the penalties are, as by definition they should be, more harsh.

And so Whiteman guarded against such consequential losses. Rob Keogh had already been introduced to offer offies, and with four overs until the replacement Dukes, Saif Zaib joined him. Zaib's first ball gave the game away. Fizzed in toward the pads of Kasey Aldridge, Zaib fielded off his own bowling, jogged back to his mark, and turned to repeat.

It felt a little odd. Not really the cricket that the smattering of spectators who had braved the wind, and waited for the rain to cease, had been hoping to endure.

In fairness, the runs dried up. Keogh got a couple to turn sharply. Jack Leach, from his perch in the Andrew Caddick Pavillion, whipped his tongue out and brushed away some crumbs resting on his lips. Caddick himself was absent, instead watching his half-brother accept the crown.

And Zaib settled into a rhythm, flighting a couple above James Rew's eyeline. A pair of mistimed reversed sweeps should have been taken as due warning. It was clever bowling: the way to make such shots high-risk is to hold the ball back a fraction. Rew failed to take heed, and was promptly bowled.

Tea came soon after and Rew will doubtless have been admonishing himself over a sandwich and protein shake meal deal. He had, once again, batted beautifully. A second hundred in two games at Taunton was very much in sight. True, there had been a couple of streaky boundaries gained through vacant slips. And true, he was put down by Hassan Azad off Jack White. But there were also plenty of classy strokes, the type those around here are already becoming accustomed to. A shame.

^{Tom Kohler-Cadmore scored his maiden century for Somerset [Harry Trump/Getty Images]}

Earlier, Tom Kohler-Cadmore had reached his maiden hundred for Somerset. Sat on 95 overnight, a potentially nervous wait was elongated by the torrential morning rain. If there was any Kohler-Cadmore anxiety, it was not evident in the little shimmy he made towards White from the first ball he faced.

Rumour has it King Charles was desperate to see TKC reach three figures and ordered a stay in coronatory proceedings. Naturally, the pause could not be lengthy, and so Northamptonshire offered up the bowler (White) who gave Kohler-Cadmore 37 runs from 22 deliveries on Friday.

Instantaneously, that became 43 from 23. There was a thud as the tarpaulin sightscreen dangled from the Lord Ian Botham Stand was attacked. It was the kind of meaty stroke Beefy himself would have enjoyed. Kohler-Cadmore removed his helmet and held his arms aloft. It was just a shame there were not many to bear witness. 130 he made in all, with a highlights package that was a joy to behold.

Somerset were all out for 412, a first innings lead of 157. What they wanted was early wickets, what they got, well, that was an altogether different thing. Ricardo Vasconcelos was once more elegant, tucking into Craig Overton in particular.

Opening partner Azad took a blow on the finger that drew blood. After lengthy treatment, it was decided to call upon Whiteman, with Azad departing to stem the bleeding. He will return tomorrow. Peter Siddle then stemmed the flow of runs before the wicket finally came. It was a big one too, Vasconcelos held at leg-slip off Jack Leach.

Somerset require nine more of those to claim their first win of the summer, although the pitch is fairly sedate. Plus, should Northamptonshire add another 91 to their overnight total, a fourth innings will be required. Sunday looks set to be both fair and intriguing.