Somerset's former Bashley star Chris Jones stunned Australia with his maiden-first-class century, today.

Nick Compton showed he will not give up an Ashes place without a fight by scoring 81 off the on the opening day of the tour match at Taunton.

But the man who made the tourists toil most was 22-year-old Jones, who went into the game with a first class average of 17 and scored his maiden century in a Somerset total of 320 all out.

Jones was only playing because of an injury to Alviro Petersen and scored 130 off 239 balls, with 21 fours and two sixes, sharing stands of 170 with Compton and 119 with James Hildreth, who made 66.

It was a tough day for the Australian bowlers until the second new ball was taken. Then Mitchell Starc (four for 33) and James Pattinson (four for 56) ran riot as the county lost six wickets for no runs in the space of 28 balls from 310 for three.

The tourists were left with one lively over from Jamie Overton to face and closed on two without loss.

It was an amazing turnaround in front of a 7,000 crowd. None of the Aussie bowlers had previously been able to shine on a prime Taunton batting pitch in warm sunshine.

Pattinson did have the satisfaction of removing Somerset captain Marcus Trescothick with only 15 on the board after the home side had won the toss. The former England opener top-edged a pull shot to fine-leg where Starc took a good running catch.

Compton had plenty to prove after Joe Root was preferred as Alastair Cook's opening partner for England's Ashes warm-up fixture against Essex. From a typically watchful start, the Somerset man gradually became more positive and had moved to 49 by lunch, which was taken on 97 for one, with Jones unbeaten on 32.

Two balls after the interval, Compton reached his fifty off 82 balls, with eight fours. Jones followed to the landmark off 104 deliveries, with nine fours just after the pair had brought up their century stand in 30.3 overs.

Michael Clarke rotated his bowlers being careful not to ask too much of any. Off-spinner Nathan Lyon sent down 23 overs for figures of one for 75, extracting some turn from the River End.

He gained his reward with the wicket of Compton, who edged to slip where Clarke took an amazing juggling catch, one-handed, diving to his left, eventually holding the ball an inch or so off the ground.

Compton swished his bat in frustration as he walked off, a clear indication of what a century would have meant to him. As it was, he faced 144 balls and extended his boundary count to 13.

Jones had quietly gone about his business at the other end and was unbeaten on 96 at tea with Somerset 220 for two.

He reached a memorable milestone in his career by bringing up three figures with a back-foot forcing shot for two off Faulkner - quite a way to celebrate the first class honours degree in Economics he has just gained at Durham University.

A straight six off Lyon and another pulled off Siddle saw Jones demonstrate the attacking side of his game before he was caught in the gully off Faulkner with the score on 304.

Hildreth had eased to a half-century off 74 balls. But the second new ball transformed the day, Starc bowling Craig Kieswetter with a perfect inswinger and trapping Alex Barrow lbw, while Pattinson accounted for Hildreth leg before.

Starc then clean bowled Craig Meschede and Pattinson gained another lbw verdict against Peter Trego as the tourists finished a testing day on a high. Starc pinned last man George Dockrell leg before and suddenly had stand-out figures.