Somerset suffer County Championship title blow with innings defeat by Yorkshire

Somerset were bowled out for 251 before lunch on day four and secured only one point from this innings and 73-run defeat

Headingley (four day of four): Yorkshire 520 v Somerset 196 & 251 - Yorkshire won by an innings and 73 runs

Scorecard

Yorkshire have thrown a spanner in the works of Somerset's pursuit of a maiden Specsavers County Championship title after completing a resounding innings victory before lunch on day four at Emerald Headingley.

Somerset's second defeat in 10 games this season would see them dislodged at the top of the Division One table at the end of the day should Essex complete victory over Warwickshire at Chelmsford.

The visitors, replying to 520, were made to follow-on 324 runs behind at tea on day three and started day four on 159 for 4, only to lose three wickets inside the first 45 minutes of play (192 for 7).

They were later bowled out 251 and secured only one point from this innings and 73-run defeat, confirmed 15 minutes before lunch.

Yorkshire's fourth win in 10 yielded 22 points, and they are third place and still just about in the title race with four games still to play.

If Essex win, they will be 38 points behind the men from Chelmsford. If Essex draw, they will be 34 points behind Somerset, who they face again at Taunton in September. The former scenario is looking almost certain.

Somerset lost nightwatchman Tim Groenewald, Tom Banton and Dom Bess inside the first 45 minutes, with captain Steve Patterson striking twice in his first two overs of the day on the way to his 400th first-class wicket.

New ball seamer Matthew Fisher made the initial breakthrough in the second over of the day when Groenewald picked out Will Fraine at point, leaving the score at 167 for 5 in the 59th.

VISIT THE COUNTY HUB: Your one-stop shop for English domestic cricket

Patterson (4-54 from 20.5 overs) then claimed the 400th wicket of a first-class career which started in 2005.

The metronomic seamer bowled Banton through the gate with a nip backer, the 35-year-old’s third ball of the morning - 188 for 6 in the 67th.

In his next over, he bowled Bess, who will rejoin Yorkshire on loan for T20 tomorrow.

Then shortly before the clock ticked over to midday, Steve Davies tamely chipped Patterson to Duanne Olivier, who took a low catch at mid-off, to secure his third wicket and Yorkshire's fourth inside the first hour of play. Somerset were 211 for 8 in the 73rd.

South African Test spinner Keshav Maharaj was hit for two straight sixes by Craig Overton, but he ousted Jamie Overton lbw to claim his 10th wicket in the match as Somerset slipped to 239 for 9 in the 80th over.

Patterson then took the new ball and trapped Craig Overton lbw in the 83rd.

^{Matthew Fisher was among the wickets}

Yorkshire's victory, their first at Headingley this summer after two away wins and one at Scarborough, was built upon three first-innings centuries from Gary Ballance, Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Harry Brook and a superb all-round display from left-armer Maharaj.

Maharaj hit 72 with the bat in the latter stages of Yorkshire's 520 before claiming match figures of 10-127 from 60.3 overs, including 7-52 in the first innings.

This was the last of the 29-year-old's initial three-game overseas stint with the county, in which time he has taken 20 wickets and scored two half-centuries.

It is no wonder Yorkshire are in discussions with Cricket South Africa regarding an extension to his deal for the latter stages of the four-day campaign.

With the Vitality Blast starting later this week, there is a break for Championship cricket. The next round of fixtures start on August 18, with Somerset facing Warwickshire at Edgbaston and Yorkshire hosting Nottinghamshire at Scarborough.

Courtesy of the ECB reporters network

To celebrate England winning the World Cup you can subscribe to The Cricketer for just £20.19. Click here to learn more