Hampshire lost four wickets for three runs in ten minutes of midsummer madness at Bath.

It might not have felt like summer - only 38.3 overs were bowled due to rain and bad light.

But Richard Johnson and Matt Bulbeck sliced through a Hampshire top order minus the injured Robin Smith to put Somerset back in this match in less than four overs.

Somerset captain Jamie Cox had declared with his side nine wickets down and still 91 runs behind Hampshire's 252.

But his decision was soon vindicated.

Derek Kenway was out to the first ball of Hampshire's second innings after top edging an attempted hook.

Bulbeck took a tumbling catch at fine leg to end Kenway's brief innings and Somerset spent the next few overs setting up what could be a dramatic final day .

Bulbeck took two wickets of his own in the final over after Johnson had got one to lift from just short of a length to find Giles White's outside edge.

Kendall returned to form in the first innings with an 88 - that effort looks more and more valuable the longer this match goes on.

But he edged Bulbeck to first slip, where Peter Bowler took a smart catch, and Jason Laney was trapped leg before next ball for a pair and his third duck in as many innings for the first team.

Nic Pothas dug out the hat-trick ball from Bulbeck and then walked off with Neil Johnson after the pair were offered the light.

Pothas and Johnson returned to the crease for a few brief moments at 6.10pm but umpires David Constant and George Sharp again offered them the light and they took it, much to the chagrin of the Bath public.

That signalled the end of play for the day but worryingly for Hampshire, Smith was only able to watch the collapse from the pavilion after suffering a recurrence of his back injury.

Smith used one of Bath's swimming pools to try and alleviate the pain in the afternoon while Kendall skippered in his absence.

Last week it was his Achilles but Smith should be fit for the C&G clash against these opponents at Taunton on Wednesday.

After resuming at 79-5 Somerset lost four wickets in adding 82 runs before Cox declared after Simon Francis had faced one ball against his old teammates.

Neil Johnson took two wickets, including that of namesake Richard, and Derek Kenway took another sharp catch above his head at first slip to end Rob Turner's innings.

At least Shaun Udal had the chance to rest his right ankle ahead of the operation to remove two screws in the joint later this month.

A seamer friendly wicket meant that he only bowled three overs but he took a good catch at backward gully after Ian Blackwell had added 14 runs to his over night 28.

Lefthander Blackwell had slashed Dimitri Mascarenhas's previous delivery over Udal's head but was not so lucky with the next.

That was the first of eight wickets to fall yesterday.

Four of those might have fallen in the first 21 deliveries of Hampshire's second innings but they could yet win this match with a lead of 94 on a deteriorating wicket.

SCOREBOARD:

Overnight: Hampshire 252 (W S Kendall 88). Somerset 79-5.

SOMERSET

First Innings

Blackwell c Udal b Mascarenhas 42

Turner c Kenway b Mullally 33

Dutch lbw b Johnson 24

Johnson b Johnson 9

Bulbeck not out 0

Francis not out 0

Extras 7

Total (9 wkts dec 74 ov) 161

Fall: 1-14 2-38 3-43 4-47 5-51 6-100 7-141 8-157 9-161

Bowling: Mullally 27-10-64-4 Tremlett 17-7-41-0 Mascarenhas 16-10-23-2 Johnson 11-5-22-3 Udal 3-1-8-0