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LV County Championship - Division One
Taunton - Day Four
Somerset 427 (Z de Bruyn 81, P D Trego 65, M E Trescothick 58, I D Blackwell 55, J L Langer 50) & 243-8 dec (J L Langer 88, B J Phillips 53 no) v Kent 208 & 216-9 (G Jones 53 no; S Jones 5-53). Somerset win by 246 runs.

Somerset moved to the top of Division One - at least for a few hours - thanks to a comprehensive 246-run win over Kent at Taunton.

The home side needed just 45 minutes on the final day to wrap up their third championship win of the season and earn a maximum 22 points, to Kent's four.

That was good enough for top spot until Durham overhauled them later in the day.

Somerset's hero was Steffan Jones, who claimed the last three wickets for season-best figures of five for 53, and only narrowly missed out on a hat-trick.

Needing 463 to win, Kent, who were again without skipper Robert Key following the birth of his second child, resumed on 163 for six in their second innings.

Some attractive stroke-play saw Geraint Jones and Ryan McLaren take their total past 200.

But McLaren then fell for 23, caught by wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter off Jones' bowling.

Jones then scattered Robbie Joseph's stumps with his next delivery, with the new batsman playing all around it.

Hat-trick ball

His hat-trick ball saw a loud but unsuccessful appeal for lbw against Martin Saggers, but Jones got him soon afterwards when he could only fend a short ball to James Hildreth at gully.

With Key absent, it brought the Kent innings to an end and Jones leapt in the air before being engulfed by celebrating team-mates.

Beforehand, Geraint Jones had reached his side's first half-century of the match off 113 balls, with five fours and three sixes, two of them blasted straight back over left-arm spinner Ian Blackwell's head.

But the day belonged to the bowler Jones, whose match figures of eight for 121 was a fine return on a basically placid pitch.

The win sees Somerset on course for a first Championship title following promotion last season, but the division is very tight and Kent remain well placed themselves.

Day Three

Somerset closed in on their third championship win of the season after setting Kent 463 to win on the third day at Taunton.

The home side declared their second innings at lunch on 243-8, with skipper Justin Langer having contributed 88 and Ben Phillips 53 not out.

Kent lost captain Robert Key, who was attending the birth of his second child, and it is unclear whether he will return to help the cause on Saturday.

The visitors were reduced to 163-6 by the close of play, with Martin van Jaarsveld top-scoring with 39.

Kent still require 300 runs to win and their only hope of avoiding defeat appears to be more bad weather.

Day Two

Kent hit back at Taunton after Somerset decided against enforcing the follow-on, but the hosts still held a commanding lead after day two.

Charl Willoughby, Steffan Jones and Alfonso Thomas all took three wickets each as Kent were skittled out for 208 - a score the only achieved thanks to a last-wicket stand of 50 between Ryan McLaren and Robbie Joseph.

Plenty of batsmen got starts for Kent but the likes of Matthew Walker, Justin Kemp and Geraint Jones all got out in the 20s.

With a lead of 219, skipper Justin Langer decided against asking Kent to bat again and gave his bowlers the chance to put their feet up and watch the batsmen extend an unassailable advantage.

However, Somerset struggled in their second innings, starting with Marcus Trescothick being run-out for eight when being called through for a single by Langer.

Top scorer Zander de Bruyn went cheaply and Ian Blackwell was later caught and bowled for a duck to leave the hosts struggling on 103-5.

Langer steadied the ship somewhat and he was unbeaten on 65 as they closed on 129-5, still holding a sizeable lead of 348 but looking to make that an even bigger advantage on day three.

Day One

The in-form Zander de Bruyn led the way as Somerset gained maximum batting points on day one of their Division One match against Kent at Taunton.

Attempting a third successive century, the South African made 81 as his side ran up 427 all out after losing the toss.

Marcus Trescothick and Justin Langer got the home side off to a flyer, taking 63 off the first 10 overs - Kent opening bowler Yasir Arafat leaving the field with stomach cramps after an early four-over spell.

Trescothick (58) breezed to his half-century off 68 balls, with two sixes and seven fours before falling to Martin Saggers.

And, after making a half-century which took just 56 deliveries and also featured seven fours, Langer (50) was caught behind off Robbie Joseph.

James Hildreth (4) then fell to Saggers but de Bruyn and Peter Trego (65) added 120 in 21 overs, the latter hitting two sixes and seven fours before departing.

De Bruyn eventually gloved a catch behind off Saggers, having hit 10 fours and a six in his 125-ball stay, while Blackwell (55) became another to make a half-century before being caught midwicket.

Craig Kieswetter made 35, before the second new ball accounted for Steffan Jones, Ben Phillips and Alfonso Thomas.

Kent were left with five overs to bat at the end of the day and lost Joe Denly, nightwatchman Saggers and skipper Robert Key in struggling to 13-3 - with Charl Willoughby claiming two of the wickets.