County champions Sussex were still 538 runs in arrears as the weather played havoc with the second day's play in their match against Somerset at Taunton.

After three inspections play eventually got under way at 2.30pm with the loss of 37 overs as Somerset resumed on 399 for three.

A single by Zander de Bruyn, who was 37 not out overnight, off Robin Martin-Jenkins, brought up the 400 for the hosts and the fifth batting point.

Four overs later the South African moved to his 50 with a drive off Martin-Jenkins to the cover boundary.

When Luke Wright was introduced at the River End his first ball was struck by James Hildreth over the square leg boundary for six, scattering the builders working on the redevelopment work at the County Ground.

Two overs later Wright accounted for De Bruyn, bowled for 62, to put an end to the fourth-wicket partnership of 131 he had shared with Hildreth.

The England Lion batsman, who was 127 not out on resumption, went to his 150 with a single to mid-wicket off Wright, but after adding a further eight runs to his total he was caught by Michael Yardy off Ollie Rayner at mid-wicket.

During his innings Hildreth faced 199 balls, hit 14 fours and four sixes and passed the 4,000 first-class runs mark in his career.

With the score on 488 Jason Lewry, who had returned at the Old Pavilion End, accounted for Ian Blackwell as he attempted to drive which brought Craig Kieswetter to the wicket to join Peter Trego.

The Somerset keeper on drove Rayner for three to bring up the 500 and the seventh-wicket pair added 46 brisk runs before Trego was caught by Wright at extra cover off Martin-Jenkins for 41.

Ben Phillips and Kieswetter added a further 23 runs to take the total onto 557 when the latter was caught at extra cover by Yardy off Martin-Jenkins for 29, immediately after which Somerset captain Justin Langer declared.

The Sussex response got off to a bad start when Chris Nash edged the fourth ball of the innings by Charl Willoughby to Langer at first slip before a run was on the board.

New batsman Yardy and Carl Hopkinson took the score onto 19 off four overs when the players left the field for bad light at 5.35pm after which play was abandoned for the day.