Latham and Jack’s 99s abort Somerset’s attack.

Matt Henry collects 6 for 80 as Surrey take a commanding first-inning advantage at Taunton.

Tom Latham and Will Jacks both fell just short of a century.

Somerset 170 (Kohler-Cadmore 59, Lawes 4-41) trails Surrey 368 (Latham 99, Jacks 99, Henry 6-80) by 198 runs.

On a rain-shortened second day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match between Surrey and Somerset at Taunton, Tom Latham and Will Jacks both fell just short of a century.

Both players were removed for 99 runs in a first-inning total of 368 all-out, giving the First Division leaders a 198-run lead. Matt Henry concluded with 6 for 80, the 22nd time he has taken five wickets or more in a first-class innings.

The rain that had been threatening for much of the afternoon arrived to end play for the day, much to the relief of the Somerset hitters, who would have faced testing circumstances under lights against the Surrey seam attack.

The visitors started the day with 138 for 4, 32 runs behind Latham and 13 behind Jacks. Latham was prepared to leave anything directed wide of the stump against Henry and Craig Overton.

With three fours in an over from Henry, Jacks increased the tempo, and batting appeared increasingly simple on a benign second-day pitch that had lost its toughness.

Somerset’s task was made even more difficult when seamer Kasey Aldridge was forced out with a side strain after bowling four balls in the 52nd over.

Latham had been getting within a ton of his target when a little drizzle interrupted him at 12.05 p.m. But his downfall came ten minutes later, when he went to cut a delivery from offspinner Shoaib Bashir and edged to slip, where Overton held a juggling catch at the third try.

The left-hander from New Zealand had faced 167 balls and struck 16 fours. Somerset struck again with 21 balls remaining when Jordan Clark pushed forward to medium-pacer Ben Green and edged a catch to wicketkeeper James Rew.

Lunch was served at 246 for 6, with Jacks having advanced to 72. In Bashir’s first over, he struck a four and a six over extra cover, indicating Surrey’s desire to build immediately after the break.

With a pull shot off Henry, Jack extended his lead past 100 points. Overton’s day with the ball had not gone well, and his irritation was heightened when he dropped brother Jamie at second slip off Henry with his score on 18.

After hitting Bashir for six over long-off, breaching a window at his previous home ground’s Colin Atkinson Pavilion, Overton had another chance on 28 when Rew dropped a challenging stumping chance off a wide delivery from the spinner.

On 99, Jacks survived a confident catch behind off Green but then went to drive the next delivery off a fair length, only to guide the ball straight into the chest of Tom Abell at backward point.

It was a disappointing end to an enjoyable 138-ball inning in which Jacks hit 14 fours and two sixes. With Surrey 317 for 7 and a 147-run lead, the second new ball was taken as soon as it became available.

Jamie Overton moved up to 42 when he top-edged a pull shot from Henry and offered a steepling catch that Sean Dickson judged well at cover.

Henry then had Dan Worrall pouched at by Dickson off an uppercut, and last man Tom Lawes was caught behind, leaving Gus Atkinson 39 not out.

Henry, who was making his final appearance for Somerset after a productive period in which he claimed 32 wickets in six Championship games and 31 to help the club win the Vitality Blast, was praised as he departed the field by teammates and spectators alike.

However, he and his teammates faced a major uphill battle to rescue the game when the clouds collected and the rain that had been predicted earlier arrived to put an end to the game. At 5 p.m., umpires Russell Warren and Mark Newell declared the game over.