Somerset battled back on the second day of their Championship match with Yorkshire at Taunton, where there was a game within a game.

The hosts had been distinctly second best for much of day one as the visitors made 296 for four. But they were restricted to 405 all out yesterday and Somerset were 226 for four at the close. However, the dismissal of the in-form James Hildreth – caught miscuing Adil Rashid to deep mid-off for 31 – probably ended any faint hopes of establishing a significant lead today and a draw now looks their best bet.

But the sub-plot was the expected return of Craig Kieswetter for Sunday's Clydesdale Bank 40 game against Worcestershire at Bath.

With his wicket-keeping stand-in Jos Buttler expected to feature as a batsman at the Rec, any one of Nick Compton, Zander de Bruyn and Arul Suppiah could be dropped.

Suppiah did his chances no harm with a dogged 78 not out from 174 balls with 11 fours after fellow opener Marcus Trescothick had played across a straight ball from Oliver Hannon-Dalby, lbw for 39.

Compton's mixed run continued when he got a thin inside edge to Steven Patterson for five before de Bruyn (47) added 100 with Suppiah for the third wicket. De Bruyn eventually nicked leg-spinner Rashid's googly onto his off stump before Hildreth's short-lived, entertaining cameo.

That brought in 19-year-old Buttler to face surely the fastest bowler he has ever come across, former West Indies quick Tino Best. The Wedmore man coped well with the Barbadian's histrionics although he would have been glad to see it was Suppiah dealing expertly with a snorting bouncer just before the close.

Earlier, Ben Phillips had produced the most impressive bowling performance seen at Taunton since England's Graham Onions took six for 31 for Durham almost a year ago.

While statistically not the best, the tall seamer had no luck and ended with four for 76 from 36 overs, 13 of which were maidens.

During his initial spell of one for 13 from eight overs from the River End he beat the bat regularly and also claimed the important wicket of Anthony McGrath, who did not add to his overnight 73, as Pete Trego held on in the gully to one that bounced.

Alfonso Thomas had Patterson well taken at second slip by Murali Kartik for 25 before he bowled Rashid.

Kartik's first Somerset wicket arrived when Jonny Bairstow drove him tamely to Compton at short extra cover for 17 and an entertaining battle with Best ensued. First Kartik was launched for a straight six and a swept four but the arm-ball did for the tail-ender, lbw for 15.

Phillips was closing in on a first five-wicket haul but he ended those hopes when he pulled off a remarkable one-handed catch at mid-on to hold Wainwright's drive to ensure Kartik ended with three for 106 from 35.5 overs.