Nottinghamshire return to red ball action this weekend when they face Somerset at Taunton in the LV= County Championship.

Both county sides go into the match with just one victory to their credit this season, Somerset winning at Trent Bridge last month and Notts defeating Sussex in their last outing, a couple of weeks ago.

Notts are currently in seventh place in the table, with 61 points, five points and two places above this week’s hosts.

Riki Wessels is scheduled to captain Nottinghamshire for the first time in championship cricket, with Chris Read out injured and James Taylor on England duty, along with Alex Hales.

Head-To-Head

Nottinghamshire and Somerset have met on 124 occasions in first-class cricket, with the head-to-head record being absolutely identical, with both county sides having recorded 31 wins, whilst the other 62 matches have been drawn.

Over the years Nottinghamshire have played at a number of out-grounds when visiting the ‘Cider County’, including Bath, Frome, Weston-super-Mare and Yeovil but the majority of the fixtures have been played at this week’s venue, with 37 championships matches being staged at the county headquarters in Taunton.

As in most long-term match-ups it’s the home side that hold the overall advantage. Somerset having won 13 of the meetings, to Notts’ five, with 19 draws.

Nottinghamshire’s last success at Taunton came way back in 1985 when they recorded a nine-wicket win.

Last Time

Runs flowed from the bats of both sides when they met last year at the County Ground, Taunton. Somerset’s decision to insert seemed to have backfired as Notts posted 440 in their first innings, with Samit Patel (pictured beow) scoring 132 and Chris Read 96.

The response was equally emphatic, as the hosts also chalked up maximum batting points before declaring on 402 for nine. Alviro Peterson made 94 but the most eye-catching innings came from Peter Trego, who bludgeoned his way to 86 from 71 balls before being caught by sub fielder Luke Wood, off Andy Carter.

Nottinghamshire’s task in the field had been handicapped by the loss of Jake Ball, who had broken a bone in his foot after bowling just two overs.

With the draw already being the nailed on outcome, Notts opted for batting practice on the final day, although any significant progress was stilted due to a succession of rain delays.

In between the showers Phil Jaques recorded his maiden century in Nottinghamshire colours and he’d advanced to 150 not out at handshake time, with the visitors declaring their second innings closed on 322 for four.

Phil Jaques pictured during his unbeaten 158 against Somerset in 2014.

Since then the two counties have met twice at Trent Bridge, Notts winning by seven wickets last June and Somerset reversing the outcome with a 133-run victory a month ago.

History

Nottinghamshire’s lowest score in the West Country occurred way back in 1892 when they were skittled out for just 69, with Ted Tyler taking nine for 33 for the home side.

In 1984 the county championship title was on the line when Notts headed for Taunton at the end of the season.

Chasing 297 to win and pip Essex for the crown, the last pair, Mike Bore and Andy Pick, were left together with fourteen runs still needed.

The equation had been reduced to just 4 from the final two deliveries.

Bore swung hard and handsome at fellow left-arm spinner Stephen Booth but, with a season’s work on the line, substitute fielder Richard Ollis broke Nottinghamshire hearts by holding the catch at long off.

Although Notts still lost to Somerset by more than 100 runs at Taunton in 1994, they at least went down fighting, and created a little bit of history in the process. Delaying the inevitable, Jimmy Adams and Kevin Evans put on a new county record stand of 170 for the ninth wicket, with the West Indian making 144 not out, his highest score for the county, with Evans adding 77.

Played For them Both

Vernon Philander played for Nottinghamshire when the sides met at Trent Bridge last month. The South African quick bowler made 5 first class appearances for the county this season, picking up 16 wickets at an average of 24.

He took seven wickets in that match against Somerset, a haul that was helped by him bowling Marcus Trescothick for nought, early in both innings.

The 29-year old played for Somerset in 2012, where he also appeared in 5 first class matches, scoring 62 runs, with a top score of 38 and took 23 wickets with a best return of five for 43.

Others to have played for both Nottinghamshire and Somerset in recent years include Matt Wood, Ben Phillips, Neil Edwards, Simon Francis, Kevin O’Brien and Dirk Nannes.

Stats

On a ground that has developed a reputation as being a batsman’s paradise, it’s perhaps surprising that only twelve Nottinghamshire centuries have been scored at Taunton, with ground specialist Samit Patel registering three of them.

Patel scored 104 in 2010, 128 in 2011 and 132 last year.

The other hundreds have come from William Gunn, who hit 101 in 1894, John Clay 127 (1955), Norman Hill 106 (1967), Basharat Hassan 104 (1964), Mike Harris 163 (1975), Tim Robinson 105 (1985), Richard Hadlee 133* (1987), Jimmy Adams 144* (1994), Phil Jaques 150* (2014).

Two Nottinghamshire bowlers have claimed 7-wicket hauls at Taunton. Mark Bowen bagged 7-73 in the drawn match in 1998 and Bruce Dooland, the Australian leg break and googly specialist, spun his side to a narrow win in 1955 with figures of 7-110.

HIGHEST INNS TOTALS AT TAUNTON – Somerset v Notts

616-7dec (Som) 1992

440 (Notts) 2014

LOWEST INNS TOTALS AT TAUNTON – Somerset v Notts

69 (Notts) 1892

106 (Som) 2008

HIGHEST INDIVIDUAL INNINGS AT TAUNTON – Somerset v Notts

163 Mike Harris (Notts) 1975

BEST BOWLING IN AN INNINGS AT TAUNTON – Somerset v Notts

Ted Tyler 9-33 (Som) 1892

Mark Bowen 7-73 (Notts) 1998

HAT TRICKS AT TAUNTON – Somerset v Notts

No bowlers, from either side, have taken a hat-trick in the Taunton matches, although Frank Shacklock (1893) and Barry Stead (1972) both claimed one for Notts at Trent Bridge and Geoff Lomax repeated the feat for Somerset at Weston-super-Mare in 1958.

Did You Know?

Mike Taylor played for Notts between 1964 and 1972 before leaving to joining Hampshire. During a similar period Mike’s twin brother, Derek, was Somerset’s wicket-keeper.  The brothers were born in Amersham, Bucks in 1942 and given the respective initials MNS and DJS – in each case the S stands for Somerset! 

Milestones

Samit Patel (8956) needs 44 more runs to reach 9000 in first-class cricket.

Riki Wessels (7950) needs 50 more runs to reach 8000 in first-class cricket.

Brendan Taylor (6866) needs 134 more runs to reach 7000 in first-class cricket.

Greg Smith (4495) needs 5 more runs to reach 4500 in first-class cricket.

Stuart Broad (3495) needs 5 more runs to reach 4000 in first-class cricket.

Will Gidman (196) needs four more wickets to reach 200 in first-class cricket.

Steven Mullaney (44) needs six more wickets to reach 50 in first-class cricket.

Tickets

For admission prices and all other matchday information please refer to the official Somerset County Cricket Club website www.somersetcountycc.co.uk

Coverage

BBC Radio Nottingham will be providing on-line commentary of this and every Nottinghamshire match this season. Access the link on the BBC Sport website or the BBC Sport app.