Somerset in a slump

Daryl Mitchell: three cheap wickets

Moeen Ali: important runs for the visitors

A quickfire 47 from Moeen Ali and Daryl Mitchell's 3-12 helped Worcestershire to a comfortable 54-run victory at Taunton.

The visitors' 173-7 included six penalty runs for a slow Somerset over-rate, Alfonso Thomas the pick of the home bowling attack with 1-24 from his four overs.

Somerset's batting then collapsed from a promising 51-6 after six overs. They were eventually bowled out for 119 to suffer a second heavy defeat in as many games before another packed crowd.

Worcestershire have two games in hand and are now only a point behind their opponents.

Their bowlers were far more effective on a slow pitch, with David Lucas and Brett D'Oliveira (3-20) backing Mitchell with economical spells.

Richard Levi was the only home batsman to time the ball, hitting three fours and two sixes in his 27 before holing Mitchell out to Moeen at long-on. After that it was a sorry procession, with only Lewis Gregory (22) showing any semblance of form.

New plan

Somerset's new plan of opening the bowling with left-arm spinner George Dockrell failed to pay dividends as Moeen attacked from the outset and the total after one over was 14.

The six power play overs yielded 53 for Worcestershire and by the time the impressive Moeen was stumped advancing to Dockrell, having hit six fours and two sixes in facing 23 balls, the total was 73-1 in the eighth over.

Vikram Solanki had made 33 at a run a ball before he was caught by James Hildreth at long-off - Dockrell again the bowler - and it was 127-3 when former Somerset player Gareth Andrew was taken by Nick Compton at long-on off Steve Kirby for 19.

Hughes was dropped on three and 15 before going on to bolster the second half of the innings, hitting four fours in his 32-ball innings.

From 153-3 in the 18th over, Worcestershire lost four late wickets, but were boosted by the bonus of the extra runs as the home side paid for bowling their overs too slowly.

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