Warwickshire 319 for 8 (Trott 87, Hain 78*, Westwood 66, C Overton 4-55) lead Somerset 265 (Patel 5-89) by 54 runs
Scorecard
Jonathan Trott's highest score for Warwickshire since retiring from international cricket helped earn his side a narrow ascendancy over Somerset in an intriguing Division One match at Edgbaston.
While England's top order was spectacularly imploding against Australia at Lord's, Trott struck a typically measured 87 (145 balls, 11 fours) to steer his side towards 319 for 8, a lead of 54, at Edgbaston.
It was a day for England wannabees: Jonny Bairstow and James Taylor to name two. Trott, though, is a wannabee no longer.
The 34-year-old's form since quitting the England set-up in early May has been middling - he started this match with just 288 runs from ten championship innings - but this was much his most assured innings since his return.
He missed Warwickshire's match at Durham last week on paternity leave. Yesterday, nine-day old Lexi was among the crowd at Edgbaston as Dad batted with untroubled fluency before falling to Craig Overton's first delivery with the new ball just as a 38th first-class century was beckoning.
Trott's work and that of Ian Westwood (66 from 175 balls, four fours) and Sam Hain (an unbeaten 78 from 145, 11 fours) suggested that Somerset's 265 all out on the first day was an under-achievement in decent batting conditions. But the visitors stormed back in the last session when Overton and Alfonso Thomas took five wickets in 10 overs with that new ball.
After Warwickshire resumed in the morning on 22 without loss, they advanced to 66 before Varun Chopra, a model of patience on the way to 33, finally snapped and guided Overton to gully.
After Laurie Evans fell to Jim Allenby's sixth ball, Westwood and Trott put on 77 in 22 overs before the former inside-edged a drive at Alfonso Thomas on to his stumps.
That brought together Trott and Hain - or Trott major and Trott minor, it appears, so similar are they in batting style, technique and mannerism. They added 82 in 31 overs before Somerset, having bizarrely delayed taking the new ball for seven overs, finally took it and inflicted considerable damage.
Tim Ambrose edged Thomas into the slips while Overton did most damage, forcing Trott the elder to nick behind and Rikki Clarke and Chris Woakes to send catches to gully.
Keith Barker edged Thomas into the slips as Somerset fought back impressively at the end of a long, hot day but Hain stayed solid, three days after his 20th birthday, to completed an unflustered half-century, his fifth 50 to go alongside five 100s in 18 first-class matches. He may well emulate Trott's long Test career.
