Somerset thrash champion Warwickshire claims first win of the season

Somerset are running in the LV= Insurance County Championship after defeating champions Warwickshire by one innings and 82 runs in three days at Taunton.

Tom Abell’s side, who started the season with three straight losses, quickly took Warwickshire’s final first-innings wicket in the morning session to secure a 249 lead, then bowled the visitors out for a second time with 167.

Jack Brooks led by four for 44, but it was an enormously impressive collective effort, with all five bowlers used to getting between the wickets and keeping the pressure on the batsmen.

Harry Brook fell just short of a double century from his maiden career on the third day before lunch Yorkshire towards defeating Kent at Headingley.

Brook, the Division One’s second-best run scorer behind Kents opener Ben Compton, continued his excellent form, advancing from 131 to 194 overnight and taking his runs to 512 in five innings this summer, as Yorkshire hit 571 in response Kent’s 291 piled up.

Kent has impressively resisted going 118 for two from 50 overs – Compton was unbeaten at 67 – giving them hope they can avoid a third loss in four games.

Nick Gubbins scored two centuries in a county championship match for the first time in his career as Hampshire led Lancashire 351 to victory at the Ageas Bowl.

Gubbins followed his crucial 101 not out in the first innings with an effortless 130 to give Hampshire a hefty lead on a pitch that had previously benefited the bowlers.

Hampshire were eventually bowled out for 344, with the visitors reaching nine without a loss by the end.

Essex couple Paul Walter and Matt Critchley staged a rearguard belligerent action to thwart Northamptonshire’s hopes of a win at Chelmsford.

The fourth pair of wickets came together just before tea at 58 for three and were still on stumps after putting down 91 valuable runs as Essex struggled to salvage the match.

Essex, who eventually got sacked for 193 in their first innings and finished Ben Sanderson with four for 32, were asked by Northamptonshire to go on and ended up going 149 for three, requiring a further 48 to get the visitors batting again .

Chris Dent scored a superb double century and struggled all day to frustrate Surrey leaders and ushers Gloucestershire towards safety in Bristol.

In response to Surrey’s impressive 603 first innings, Gloucestershire went on to finish with 443 for two, thanks in large part to Dent’s defiant knock of 207 not out – an innings that has spanned eight hours so far.

The Bristolian shared a record-breaking opening 296 with Marcus Harris (124) and then staged an unbroken third-wicket alliance of 147 with Miles Hammond, his left-hand colleague finishing undefeated at 75.

Leader of Division Two Nottinghamshire scored a third win in four games with one day remaining, although Ed Barnard’s heroic 163 didn’t work out for Worcestershire.

Ben Duckett, who has a century and four fifties from his last five innings, had the highest score at 78 as Nottinghamshire overtook a 233 goal to win by five wickets.

Worcestershire had been rolled out for 339 in their second innings, with four wickets each for England Stuart Broad and last season’s leading wicket-taker Luke Fletcher.

Ben Mike was left stranded at 99 when his thrilling counter-attacking innings failed to save Leicestershire from a 10-wicket loss to Middlesex at Lord’s.

Mike’s effort took the visitors to 272 and ensured Middlesex, who was a light bowler due to Tom Helm’s injury, had to bat again. However, their goal of 52 proved to be a minor problem for opening players Mark Stoneman and Sam Robson.

A straight opening 169 between Alex Lees (50) and Sean Dickson (110) gave Durham an excellent chance to save their match against Sussex at Hove after they went into a 315 first innings deficit.

Previously, Sussex had continued to dominate as overseas stars Cheteshwar Pujara and Mohammad Rizwan bet 154 for the sixth wicket.

Pujara had 203, his second double century in three games, while Rizwan found form on his home debut with an innings of 79 while Sussex stacked to 538.

Derbyshire’s Shan Masood agonizingly fell short of a running record on day three against Glamorgan in Derby.

The Pakistani opener was eliminated by 42 points, falling short by three to beat most of April’s top-flight runs Nick Compton who scored 715 for Somerset in 2012.

Marnus Labuschagne had previously netted 130 balls from 199 from Glamorgan’s 387, with Sri Lankan fast bowler Suranga Lakmal scoring five for 82.

Derbyshire equalized a narrow deficit of 19 and with Wayne Madsen going to 58 unbeaten they finished 170 to two, a 151 lead.