County Championship round-up: Somerset and Middlesex notch third-day wins | Cricket News

Somerset defeat Warwickshire by an innings and 82 runs in LV= County Championship Division One match at Taunton with Jack Brooks taking 4-44; Ben Mike makes 99 not out but fails to save Leicestershire from 10-wicket defeat to Middlesex in Division Two clash at Lord’s

Jack Brooks of Somerset celebrates after taking the wicket of Warwickshire’s Danny Briggs

Somerset rounded off a superb team display by defeating Warwickshire by an innings and 82 runs inside three days of their LV= Insurance County Championship Division One game at Taunton.

After starting with three successive defeats, Tom Abell’s side, who made 458 in their first innings, are well and truly up and running after they completely outplayed the champions.

They swiftly took Warwickshire’s last first-innings wicket in the morning to dismiss them for 209 and secure a lead of 249, then bowled them out for 167 second time round.

Jack Brooks led the way with 4-44 but it was an impressive collective effort, with all five bowlers used getting among the wickets and maintaining pressure on the batters, with Craig Overton claiming 2-41 and Jack Leach 2-35.

Sam Hain (43, 116 balls) and Will Rhodes (29, 93 balls) added 68 in 30 overs for the fourth wicket for Warwickshire but it was an isolated show of defiance in an innings in which two wickets fell within five balls on four occasions.

Ben Mike was left stranded on 99 as his thrilling counter-attacking innings failed to save Leicestershire from a 10-wicket defeat in three days at the hands of hosts Middlesex in their Division Two clash at Lord’s.

Mike followed his 4-15 24 hours earlier with a magnificent display of hitting, beating his previous career-best of 74, only to run out of partners one short of a richly-deserved century.

His efforts took the visitors to 272 second time around and ensured Middlesex, who were a bowler light due to an injury to Tom Helm, had to bat again.

However, Toby Roland-Jones’ 3-67 meant the hosts needed just 52, a target openers Mark Stoneman and Sam Robson chased down in just over 10 overs to seal a second win of the season.