Nick Gubbins and Adam Voges were both dismissed in the 90s as Middlesex replied to Somerset's 408 with 306 for seven on a rain-hit second day of the Division One match against Somerset at Taunton.
Gubbins was three short of his highest first-class score of 95, made against Somerset, at Uxbridge last year, when Jamie Overton had him taken at second slip by Marcus Trescothick..
The young opener was not too disappointed after being dismissed by Overton three short of his career-best , also made against Somerset, and eight runs away from a century.
He said: "It felt a bit like deja vu being out in the 90s against Somerset again. But I felt more disappointed for the team than myself because it was a tricky period to be batting. The clouds had come over, there had been the rain breaks and Jamie Overton was bowling fast.
"I really enjoyed batting with Adam (Voges). He was in tremendous form in Australia last winter and he kept me going out there.
"The ball that got me was a god one from Jamie, so I don't feel too hard done by at missing out on a hundred."
Skipper Voges was two short of his first century for Middlesex when he fell lbw to Lewis Gregory, who also accounted for Sam Robson, Nick Compton and Neil Dexter in a return of .four for 88 from 19 overs. Fellow youngster Overton also bowled impressively to take three for 42 in 11 overs.
Gubbins and Voges shared a third-wicket stand of 139 on a day in which 17 overs were lost to rain and bad light in two interruptions either side of the tea interval.
Middlesex resumed on 10 for no wicket, but lost Robson to the second ball of the morning when the England batsman pushed at a delivery from Gregory and edged a catch to Trescothick in the slips.
Compton, in his first game back at Taunton since his close-season return to Middlesex, moved comfortably to 28 before he was caught behind by Alex Barrow off Gregory. Compton looked unhappy at umpire Alex Wharf's decision and stood his ground for several seconds before heading back to the pavilion.
Gubbins, 21, continued to impress and, having struck nine fours in his 88-ball half-century, he twice pulled Gregory for six over midwicket as he progressed towards what he hoped would be a maiden first-class hundred.
Maybe he wasn't helped by the two interruptions to play, but he was ultimately undone by a superb delivery from Overton, who, in the midst of a very quick four-over spell from the Somerset Pavilion End, had him taken low at second slip by Trescothick off a defensive edge. His 170-ball innings included 12 fours as well as the two sixes off Gregory.
Former Nottinghamshire star Voges arrived at Middlesex this summer on the back of an outstanding domestic campaign with Western Australia, in which he scored 1,358 runs at an average of 104.46.
He hit nine fours in a 69-ball half-century and added seven more boundaries before he was lbw driving at a delivery from Gregory.
The Somerset seamer struck again in his next over when he held a return catch to dismiss Dexter for seven, which left Middlesex on 256 for five.
John Simpson helped James Franklin added 41 for the sixth wicket, but Overton then struck twice with the second new ball in the penultimate over. He yorked Simpson middle stump for 13 and then uprooted Ollie Rayner's off stump before he had scored.
