Nottinghamshire showed some resilience with a spirited fightback after being made to follow on against Somerset at Taunton - and spinner Matt Carter feels it has given his side a fighting chance.

After being dismissed in their first innings for only 134, Notts came back strongly after tea as openers Steven Mullaney and Jake Libby reached their half-centuries, before closing on 112 without loss.

Earlier in the day Somerset’s first innings closed on 392, with Carter returning the pick of the figures with 5-113.

The 22-year old spinner had picked up 10 wickets on the same ground on his first appearance for the county in 2015 and he was pleased to get his second career five-wicket haul.

Carter had to work hard for his rewards, sending down 37 overs, 27 of them on the same day.

“I’m buzzing to get one,” he said. “Obviously the last time was here on my debut, so I’m pleased to come and get another.”

“This actually all felt similar to a recent second team match, where I bowled an almost identical number of overs. It made it a bit easier here, having already done that.”

Somerset’s bowlers then tore into the Nottinghamshire top order, with only Ross Taylor’s 74 offering any resistance.

“We managed to get them out fairly quickly this morning,” said Carter. “And it didn’t take too long. But we were very disappointed with what we’ve done in our first innings.

“But then to show what we’ve done in the second shows the dedication that we’re putting into our cricket and what we’re getting out of it.”

Steven Mullaney has been in the runs recently but Carter said the dressing room were all delighted to see Jake Libby return to his best form.

He added: “Seeing the work that he’s put in and not getting the scores that he’s wanted has been a little depressing for everyone around him.

“But to see him get a fifty like that, without giving a chance, has been great and hopefully he can carry on and make it into a big one tomorrow.”

Carter wouldn’t rule out Nottinghamshire’s chances of fighting back in this contest.

“It’s actually started to take a lot of turn now,” he said. “I think if we can manage to get a lead of somewhere between 150-250 I think we’ll be able to put in a good stint and get close to getting over the line on the final day.”

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