Somerset thump Kent by 10 wickets to cement top spot in County Championship
Rain continues to destroy much of the county schedule
Thursday 13 June 2019 19:52, UK
Somerset skittled Kent for 59 as they cemented top spot in the Specsavers County Championship with a 10-wicket win at Canterbury.
Kent resumed on 24-2 in their second innings with day three having been washed out by rain and 33 overs lost on the morning of day four.
The hosts added just 35 more runs to their total once play begin at 1.45pm as Lewis Gregory ended with 5-21 and 11 wickets in the match. SCORECARD
Sean Dickson (22) and Darren Stevens (10) were the only Kent players to make double figures, leaving Somerset with a target of just 30 for a fifth victory in six Division One matches.
Tom Abell (15no) and Azhar Ali (13no) saw the Taunton side home in 6.4 overs as they moved 26 points clear of second-placed Hampshire.
Defending champions Surrey and third-placed Yorkshire had to settle for a draw in another rain-affected clash. SCORECARD.
Morne Morkel took three wickets in his first two overs and Jordan Clark, on his Surrey championship debut, was close to bagging a hat-trick in his own opening over of the day as Yorkshire were bowled out for 148 and asked to follow on.
But the loss to rain and bad light of a total of 49.3 overs in the day - including the match being called off 20.3 overs early at 5pm when more rain arrived - eventually allowed Yorkshire to secure the draw after reaching 30-0 in their second innings.
In Division Two, Worcestershire's clash with Lancashire at New Road was inevitably abandoned with only 71.3 overs possible across the four days, and none on the final day.
Lancashire bowled Worcestershire out for 98 on the first day and then replied with 110-3. SCORECARD
Torrential rain also prevented any play on day four at Emirates Riverside as Durham versus Northamptonshire ended in a draw. SCORECARD
No play was possible on day three either, meaning Northants were unable to build on their 254-6, which was underpinned by Ricardo Vasconcelos' unbeaten 105, his fifth first-class hundred.
Durham had scored 253 all out in their sole innings - Ben Raine (82) and Brydon Carse (77) rescuing the hosts from 81-7 at Chester-le-Street.
There was also a stalemate between Leicestershire and Middlesex at Grace Road where only 11.3 overs were possible in the game. SCORECARD
Gloucestershire's Chris Dent and Gareth Roderick made half-centuries between the showers at Arundel but their match against Sussex is heading towards a draw. SCORECARD
Only 49 overs in two sessions were possible on day three with Gloucestershire reaching 146-3 in reply to Sussex's 351-8 declared - Dent scoring 59 and Roderick 51.
Derbyshire could yet force a win against Glamorgan and will hope for favourable conditions on Friday as they take a 110-run lead into the final day at Swansea. SCORECARD.
Responding to Glamorgan's 394 all out, Derbyshire reached 504-4 at the close of day three with captain Billy Godleman (211 not out) and Tom Lace (143) both recording career-best scores.
