County Championship: Somerset go top with Nottinghamshire win
Ian Bell century earns Division Two table-toppers Warwickshire another win, while Durham clinch comeback victory over Derbyshire
Thursday 14 June 2018 14:07, UK
Somerset moved to the top of the Specsavers County Championship as they successfully chased down Nottinghamshire's 248 to win by six wickets on the final day at Taunton.
Notts added a further 37 runs to their overnight lead as they lost their final two second-innings wickets - Josh Davey (4-76) claiming both - to be dismissed for 505 but, having followed on, their target still proved surmountable for the hosts.
Matt Renshaw - who struck a century in the first innings - continued his fine form with 61 at the top of the order, while skipper Tom Abell (46no) and Steven Davies (46no) saw the side safely to a third win in five and move one point clear of Surrey in second place.
In Division Two, Warwickshire stayed in top spot as Ian Bell's second century of the game saw them chase down 294 and beat Glamorgan by four wickets at Edgbaston.
Bell hit 17 boundaries in his unbeaten 115, sharing a century stand with former England team-mate Jonathan Trott (67) and helping the home side navigate a couple of sticky patches in their run chase.
Trott and Sam Hain, and then Tim Ambrose (21) and Keith Barker, were dismissed within two balls of each other by David Lloyd and Andrew Salter respectively, but Bell remained.
Chris Rushworth claimed five-for as Durham clinched a superb comeback win over Derbyshire on day four of their match at Emirates Riverside.
Durham - bowled out for just 96 on the first morning - had set the visitors a stiff 268-run victory target after a much better showing with the bat in their second innings, and then took four Derbyshire wickets for just 69 runs late on the third evening.
Rushworth, who claimed two of those strikes, added a further three victims on the final day to finish with a haul of 5-47 from his 19.3 overs, including taking the final wicket to bowl Derbyshire out for 172 and clinch a 95-run win.
Gloucestershire clung on for a hard-earn draw on the final day of their game with Kent at Bristol, denying the visitors a fourth-straight win.
Following on, and still some 269 runs behind at the start of play, Gloucestershire battled their way to 322-7 by stumps, denying Kent for 126.4 overs.
Captain Chris Dent (76), Benny Howell (67), and Graeme van Buuren (59) contributed with hugely valuable, watchful fifties, while James Bracey (25) and Kieran Noema-Barnett (42no) too batted time, digging in for 102 and 137 deliveries, respectively.
