Date-stamped : 20 Aug97 - 03:04 Oram brief but to the point By Neville Scott at Trent Bridge First day of four: Somerset 290-6 v Notts THIS is the kind of game which, in a two-division champi- onship, might be sold as a key promotion clash - the battle for 12th place hardly sounds so exciting. Yet the day produced much bite if, thankfully, none of the bile evident earlier in the week at Chelmsford. Notting- hamshire`s spirited seam quartet, skilfully rotated and ably backed up by Nathan Astle`s medium pace, dictated terms until mid-afternoon, but Somerset, in demanding conditions, retained the will to fight. With the old pitch policy wisely revisited, grass has never been absent at Nottingham this year. This, though, was the greeen- est surface yet presented, granting pace, occasional lift and of- ten compelling cricket. After Somerset departed from custom by opting to bat, Andy Oram, one of a trio of players to have arrived here with success from Northampton, spearheaded the bowling. When Oram, of lively pace at 22 in his third championship ap- pearance, had Mike Burns (72) caught behind driving after tea, he had claimed a wicket in each of four impressive short bursts. But Burns, one of a triumvirate of some-time glovemen to find runs, had already revived things with the present keeper, Rob Turner, in a 92-run sixth- wicket stand. Opener Piran Holloway (also 72), the scorer of Somerset`s solitary century since mid-May after winning positions in three opening games had fallen foul of rain, was again the single top- order bats- man to look secure. But with Turner, crucially dropped off Kevin Evans on 12, con- tinuing recent fine form to reach 48 by the close, a competitive score had been achieved. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Metcalfe takes charge By Neville Scott at Trent Bridge Third day of four: Somerset (337 & 248-4) lead Notts (356) by 229 runs SADLY, with the pitch, if still quick, becoming more biased to the bat and with seamers less venomous and tight than before - for- giveable in stifling, sultry heat - this game began to slip towards the familiar terrain of an ultimate two-session run- chase today. There is still something for bowlers, though 18 of the first 26 innings passed 20, no batsman has yet made 80, but pace on to the bat is bringing shots not wickets. Notts established this en route to an early lunch, adding 125 at four per over as their last four fell. When Mushtaq Ahmed had Kevin Evans, static against the top spinner, to gain a fourth bonus point with three balls to spare, Notts had just posted full batting points for the first time this year - only one other first innings had reached even 275. It was a bold effort, led by Ashley Metcalfe`s fluent 79 and supported by the confident Paul Franks, but signalled hard work to come. Though the new ball removed Peter Bowler, hooking, and Piran Holloway, beautifully held at slip, Simon Ecclestone could re- peatedly cut second bounce to the boundary in finding the game`s fastest fifty. He went when Usman Afzaal beat his drive turning one out of the rough before tea. This might suggest Mushtaq as the key today. Yet since taking six for 70 in mid-May, 20 further wickets have come at 40.55, his com- mand of flight momentarily waning. Mark Lathwell hooked to long leg early in the evening but Mar- cus Trescothick`s season`s best 70 not out ensured that 84 came off the final 21 overs, hastening today`s declaration. Northamptonshire are the first winners of the NAYC Cup for county under-19 teams when they defeated Surrey by 12 runs at Shenley Park. A total of 169 for nine, after at one stage being 58 for five, proved too much for Surrey, who made 157. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)