Hampshire are up against it in their battle to beat relegation after conceding centuries to Somerset's top three batsmen at Taunton.

Marcus Trescothick (153), Tom Abell (131) and Tom Cooper (118) helped Somerset to a lead of 329 runs, with five first-innings wickets remaining, at the end of day two.

Resuming on 147-0 to Hampshire's first-innings 240, the overnight pair of Abell and Trescothick rode out the opening few overs when the conditions were overcast.

Fidel Edwards looked threatening early on but once the sun broke through the opening pair started to take their runs freely.

When Abell drove the first ball of the 17th over of the morning to the boundary, he passed 1,000 career first-class runs in his 17th match.

Abell and his opening partner were neck and neck going into the 90s but it was Trescothick who won the race to 100 when he took four off leg spinner Mason Crane, his 57th century coming off 180 balls with 19 fours.

Two overs later Abell claimed his maiden first class century when he ran three to deep cover off Crane, his runs coming from 155 balls with 16 fours.

The opening partnership was worth 272, one short of the record stand for Somerset between the two counties, set by Peter Roebuck and Nigel Felton in 1986, when Abell played back to a fuller delivery from Berg and was out lbw for 133.

Trescothick was in vintage form and continued to score freely, sweeping Ryan McLaren to the fine leg boundary to pass 1,000 first-class runs in a season for the seventh time in his career.

In the next over Trescothick looked to drive Edwards, who was bowling with the new ball and was bowled for 153 (261 balls, 29 fours), which made Somerset 341 for two. 

Tom Cooper then raced his way to 50 taking three consecutive fours and a single off an over from McLaren.

The Australian then hit two huge sixes, the first off Dawson over long off and the second off Crane at the opposite end that landed in the new pavilion building site.

Cooper went to his maiden championship century for Somerset when he lofted Crane to the cover boundary, his runs coming off 103 balls with 13 fours and two sixes.

Cooper took his own score onto 118 when he was caught at slip by Ervine after reverse sweeping Dawson with the score on 483.

James Hildreth added 68 for the fourth wicket with Jim Allenby when Hildreth was bowled by Dawson for 71.

Pete Trego went cheaply before Allenby and Luke Ronchi saw Somerset through to close by which time the score was 569-5 off 129 overs.