A partnership of 122 from South African left-hander Jordan Hermann, with 106, and Tom Rew, who made 68 in only his second championship appearance, steered a Somerset recovery of sorts from 47 for 3 against Nottinghamshire in the Rothesay County Championship first division at Trent Bridge.

But with Fergus O’Neill later grabbing two of the three wickets that fell to a second new ball, the game was back in the balance. By the close of the first day the visitors had reached 295 for 7 after Nottinghamshire made the surprise attacking move of including Mohammad Ali, the Pakistan seamer, as their second overseas player, omitting South Africa wicket-keeper Kyle Verreynne.

It was Ali who finally broke through straight after tea to remove Rew but Hermann, opening in his second four-day innings since being signed in mid-May, reached a well-judged century from 203 balls until bowled soon after as O’Neill moved to overnight figures of 3 for 66.

Put in under heavy cloud on a mottled green pitch that soon proved taxing, Somerset must have hoped for more early relief than was granted by two brief showers that delayed the start and then brought a short stoppage after five balls.

Within seven overs of the resumption, two men had gone, both held at the third of four slips kept in place through much of the first session. O’Neill, who gives the habitual impression of a man who can’t wait to bowl, grew more bustling still after straightening one that took the leading edge as Josh Thomas, playing to leg, fell without score.

Lewis Goldsworthy, edging his drive at Brett Hutton, followed for eight and it was an hour before Hermann, opening, could often break from defence. Ironically, it proved a second savage drive at Dillon Pennington that cruelly did for James Rew as non-striker when the bowler deflected onto the stumps and ran him out for ten.

After lunch taken at 63 for 3, Somerset, lacking Tom Abell with a hand injury, saw 18-year old Tom Rew, James’s brother, fill the breach in a watchful innings that broke into occasional flashing off drives as he matched his South African partner run for run.

With Lyndon James expensively introduced, all five home seamers were tried but alarms were few and Ali proved committed but initally unsuccesful in his first bowl in Britain. Rew reached his maiden first-class fifty from 94 balls two overs after Hermann had posted his from 95.

Nottinghamshire’s Joe Clarke, with 748 runs, is one of only two batters in the championship this season to have amassed more than the absent Abell’s 696 but, as stand-in ‘keeper, he allowed a dozen byes through the day.

Ali’s first ball in the second over after tea, taken on 167 for 3, finally undid Rew, palpably LBW. Archie Vaughan, watched by father Michael, the former England captain, took 41 balls to reach five in support of Hermann but ensured no harm was done in advance of the new ball.

He went on to contribute 25 to a stand of 65 before Hermann was bowled when O’Neill nipped one back before having Craig Overton LBW without score next over in which Vaughan had also escaped on 26 offering a hard diving chance to the ‘keeper.

Vaughan will resume on 51, with Jack Leach on 21, having seen Lewis Gregory go, too, out for ten to a Pennington ball that kept low in a final hour that has left the game tantalisingly poised.