Records tumbled on the second day of the LV County Championship match between Somerset and Sussex at Taunton, where by the close of play the hosts were still 616 runs behind with all first innings wickets remaining.

The day belonged to Murray Goodwin who set a new record score for Sussex with his 344 in a county record total of 742 for five declared - beating the previous best of 705 for eight declared against Surrey at Hastings in 1902.

Goodwin's score, the sixth-highest in the history of county cricket, lasted 351 balls and included 43 fours and six sixes. It also beat his previous best of 335 not out that he set against Leicestershire at Hove in 2003.

The former Zimbabwe international began the day in sparkling form and went to his century off the first ball of the morning, dispatching leg spinner Max Waller to the mid-wicket boundary.

It was Goodwin's first three-figure score of the season and more was to come.

Resuming on 326 for three both overnight batsmen Goodwin and Carl Hopkinson scored runs freely on an easy-paced wicket, the latter taking three boundaries off Charl Willoughby's first over.

A Goodwin cover drive to the boundary off Willoughby brought up the 350 and six overs later he took a single off the same bowler to bring up the 400.

On the stroke of noon with the score on 414, Hopkinson who had moved onto 42 offered a sharp caught and bowled chance, which Waller was unable to hold.

In the next over Goodwin, on 144, also survived a caught and bowled chance this time to Pete Trego.

Shortly afterwards Hopkinson went to his half century with a straight six into the Colin Atkinson Pavilion off Waller.

By lunch Sussex had moved onto 498, with Goodwin on 188 and Hopkinson 78, the fourth-wicket pair adding 172 in the session.

Goodwin brought up the 500 in the first over after lunch. His double century (254 balls, 25 fours and three sixes) came with a single to square leg off Omari Banks.

Hopkinson brought up his own century, his second of the season, in the eighth over after lunch with a six off Banks over deep extra cover.

The Sussex pair continued to plunder runs almost at will but with the total on 676 just after 3pm, Arul Suppiah finally broke the partnership when he bowled Hopkinson for a career-best 139 which came off 159 balls and included 17 fours and two sixes.

The fourth-wicket partnership between Hopkinson and Goodwin produced 363 runs in 73 overs, a new record for any wicket for Sussex.

Three balls later Suppiah stuck again to bowl Dwayne Smith.

Goodwin brought up the 700 with successive sixes over mid-wicket off Suppiah and remained at the wicket until tea by which time he had moved on to 344 and the Sussex total was 742 for five when the visitors declared.

Facing a testing final session of play the Somerset openers Marcus Trescothick and Suppiah were quickly off the mark and it was the latter who brought up the 100 and his own half-century with a straight drive to the boundary off Robin Martin-Jenkins in the 22nd over.

Trescothick brought up his 50 with a boundary off Dwayne Smith in the 28th over,

The openers remained together until the close by which time the total had moved on to 126, with Suppiah unbeaten on 61 and Trescothick not out 55.