Somerset register comfortable win

Steffan Jones was instrumental in seeing Somerset to victory

Somerset needed just 45 minutes to wrap up a 246-run win over Kent at Taunton in the LV County Championship Division One.

The home side took a maximum 22 points to Kent’s four after Steffan Jones claimed the last three wickets for figures of five for 53, and he only narrowly missed out on a hat-trick.

Kent had resumed on 163 for six in their second innings, well short of their 463 target, and were again without skipper Robert Key, back at home following the birth of his second child.

Geraint Jones and Ryan McLaren took the total past 200 with some attractive strokes before Jones had McLaren well caught by wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter, diving to his left, for 23.

The next delivery saw Robbie Joseph’s stumps scattered as he played all around it, while the hat-trick ball brought a loud but unsuccessful appeal for lbw against Martin Saggers.

Jones 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 end was nigh and it came when Saggers could only fend a short ball from Jones to James Hildreth at gully. It was 216 for nine, with Key absent, and Jones leapt in the air before being engulfed by celebrating team-mates.

The Welshman’s figures were his best of the season, beating the five for 63 he took also against Kent at Tunbridge Wells. His match figures were eight for 121, a fine effort on a basically placid pitch.

Somerset had outplayed their opponents in all departments and their emergence as contenders for a first ever Championship title following promotion last season is all the more creditable for the fact that Andrew Caddick has played in only one game because of injury.

Kent were left to rue some poor batting but remain well placed themselves in a very tight division.