Yorkshire were set an imposing victory target of 419 late on day three of their Specsavers County Championship match with Somerset at Emerald Headingley.

The White Rose county are realistically batting for a fourth day draw.

They started their second innings with nine overs remaining in the day and closed on 8-2, losing Harry Brook without scoring and Adam Lyth for four.

Yorkshire were largely on the back foot throughout a day which saw Somerset captain Tom Abell post his first century of the campaign.

Six batsmen have reached 80 in this match, and Abell was the first of them to convert into three figures on a pitch which has offered assistance for the bowlers.

The hosts will hope it doesn’t spin significantly for England fringe left-arm spinner Jack Leach.

Abell finished on 132 not out off 168 balls, including 16 fours.

Yorkshire started the day by advancing their first innings from 292-7 to 320, conceding a lead of 79.

Andrew Hodd was one of those aforementioned batsmen to reach 80, falling for 85 when he edged Lewis Gregory to first slip.

Scottish seamer Josh Davey completed career best figures of 5-65.

Gregory later hit 57 off 41 balls after tea as Somerset moved towards the declaration.

The visitors had to recover from 29-3 as captain David Willey struck twice, including the wicket of Marcus Trescothick caught at slip.

That left them with a lead of 107, but Abell and James Hildreth batted unbroken through the majority of the afternoon to share 135 for the fourth wicket.

Abell benefited from two overthrows reaching the boundary during an afternoon which ended with Hildreth falling caught behind to Lyth’s off-spinners for 72.

Steve Davies then fell early in the evening to Matthew Fisher, who claimed his second wicket and was a surprise inclusion in the attack given his toe injury suffered on day one.

But that was when the acceleration came.

When Davies fell, the score was 184-5, with Abell and Gregory then sharing 93 inside 13 overs.

All-rounder Gregory dominated, hitting three sixes in his 35-ball fifty, including one high into the new stand off Jack Leaning and another over cover off Fisher to reach his half-century.

Gregory fell to Willey, who finished with three for 72, when he miscued to mid-on as the score fell to 277-6.

Abell reached his century off 147 balls before some more striking from him and Craig Overton, who hit 27 in 18 balls before being run out coming back for two from deep backward square-leg.

The declaration came immediately, leaving Yorkshire facing a record run chase and a testing 45 minutes to bat before close.

Brook was bowled by ball which kept low from Gregory in the fifth over, forcing nightwatchman Josh Shaw to the crease.

Lyth was then caught behind off Gregory in his next over (4-2).

Shaw and Kane Williamson will begin day four.

Meanwhile, Northamptonshire batsman Ben Duckett, a target for Yorkshire, has signed a three-year deal to join Nottinghamshire for next season.

The left-handed wicketkeeper batsman will join his new county on loan for the rest of the season, and he could debut against the White Rose at Trent Bridge in next week’s Division One clash, starting on Tuesday.