Centurion Jordan Cox was injured in the powerful Essex exhibition during the third day of the County Championship Division 1 with Taunton.

From recalling to England, Cox just expanded his overnight score to an unbeaten 103 as his team extended the second inning total from 163-4 to 259.

But he retired immediately when he got three numbers, he threw his lower left corner down and he placed his single on 99ers.

Cox had no further part of the Essex innings, and was replaced on the field when Somerset started pursuing 321 to win on a court that was still helping with seams and spins.

They ended 216-6, with Lewis Gregory creating 57 and James Rew 65.

Essex coach Tom Westley said Cox had problems with him, but would not have to wait until Monday to scan.

"We'll know more then," Westley said. "He played a huge inning and it's a shame he couldn't keep going."

The first hour of the game allowed Cox and Michael Pepper to quickly build on Essex's overnight advantage of 224.

Cox reversed Jack Leach bounded from a continuous delivery, then introduced Craig Overton to the glorious extra cover for the four. The pepper tilt was well supported, and the two hit a total of 234-4 when they missed it.

Cox felt uncomfortable, and his quick single-field leaching in ton style ended with his erratic ending. After a few minutes of treatment, he was helped, but he lasted long enough to leaching four and finished a hundred of 155 cups.

Pepper glanced at Overton's four leads, but at the age of 300 and 36, Migael Pretorius was quick to continuate with his legs and feet.

Noah Thain brought distance to ticket inspector Rew, while Sam Cook took out a pull shot and was caught in his thin legs. Leach was with the wickets of Kasun Rajitha and Simon Harmer, and Essex fell from 252-4 to 259.

The 321's lead is still safe enough to help the bowler since the first morning. So it seems to be because Somerset's fragile top order was lost again, leaving 91-5 in tea.

Andy Umeed left Jamie Porter for a second time with Jamie Porter running on the board, quickly being eight points, while Archie Vaughan kicked a shot on Cook and pulled a simple catch into the middle.

Harmer introduced from the eighth time and first hit with a 54-pointer, Tom Lammonby fell 30 shots, defeating the left-handed forward defending shot and hitting his back pad.

Tom Abell made a great run to 29, then turned violently from Harmer, clamped his own stump and scored 71-5.

With just seven runs added, Tom Banton reversed the spinner at the age of 13 and was judged to have a success on Slip's pass, a decision that apparently frustrated Somerset players.

Captains Gregory and Rew remained unbeaten during the tea interval, both of which took the final match with a positive mood.

In the counterattack partnership, any distant looseness is ruthlessly punished by the border, which only highlights previous lack of hitting. Gregory beat 80 with seven four-pointers, defeating half a century.

Rew was equally impressive and remained unbeaten at the age of 37, when his captain waved 100 stalls with 100 stalls and chopped Rajitha down at four shots. However, Gregory tried another hindfoot forced shot, just thickening the inner edge to his stump.

The 14th quarter of REW, led to Cook's third man, scored fifty fluent 50 from 91 goals and Somerset 200.

He is still nearby, with another 105 more offenses required and a second new ball tomorrow.

Rothesay-backed ECB reporter network