Somerset v Hampshire: Scores and report from County Championship Division One

Match scores: Day three (Taunton)

Hampshire 1st inns: 162 (Bailey 49, Abbott 49; Leach 6-78)
Hampshire 2nd inns: 293 (Carberry 51; Bess 7-111)

Somerset 1st inns: 197 (Elgar 60; Abbott 4-49, Dawson 4-63)
Somerset 2nd inns: 168 (Elgar 60, Trescothick 34; Crane 5-40, Dawson 4-66)

Hampshire won by 90 runs

Day three report

Spinners Liam Dawson and Mason Crane bowled Hampshire to a 90-run victory over Somerset on day three of their Specsavers County Championship Division One game at Taunton.

The pair picked up nine of the 10 Somerset wickets to fall on a day when the host county suffered their third four-day defeat of the summer - and the visitors moved top of the table.

With the exception of Dean Elgar, who helped himself to a second half-century of the match, it was another disappointing batting performance from Tom Abell's side. 

Having started the day needing a further 220 runs to win, with all 10 second innings wickets in tact, they slipped from 58 without loss to 168 all out.

Having kicked off Sunday's play as slight favourites, Somerset lost six wickets in the first session as Dawson, in particular, bowled with purpose and accuracy.

Marcus Trescothick (34) looked in decent touch until he was adjudged to have nicked a Dawson delivery to wicketkeeper Lewis McManus.

Thereafter, wickets tumbled at regular intervals as Hampshire, for the first time in the game, looked in total control.

Home captain Tom Abell departed with the score on 70, once again off the bowling of Dawson, and Crane found a way through James Hildreth's defence three runs later.

Steven Davies was trapped leg before by the increasingly effective Dawson, who was later on Sunday drafted into England's squad for the third one-day international against South Africa.

Elgar, who passed 50 off 85 balls, looked in good touch, but he and Peter Trego were back in the locker room before the lunch interval.

Trego was run out after Elgar refused a possible single. Then, the South African, who appeared in precious little bother, was bowled by a Crane delivery that crept along the floor beneath his bat.

Lewis Gregory offered some resistance after lunch but, with Craig Overton and Jack Leach departing for 10 and 7 respectively, both to Crane, Somerset were soon staring down the barrel.

Gregory followed, lbw to Dawson for 25, leaving Crane to wrap things up by snaring Jamie Overton in the 55th over - his fifth wicket of the innings.

Day two report

Teenager Dom Bess claimed a career-best seven for 117 as Hampshire set Somerset 259 to win on the second day of the action-packed Specsavers County Championship match at Taunton.

It was the third time in his four Championship appearances that the 19-year-old off-spinner has taken five or more wickets in an innings but despite his efforts, Hampshire enjoyed the better of a day that began with Somerset 157 for five in reply to 162.

The home side could add only 40 as Kyle Abbott finished with four for 49 and Liam Dawson four for 63. Hampshire then batted aggressively to post 293 in their second innings, Michael Carberry making 51 and Gareth Berg 49.

By the close Somerset had reached 39 without loss in their second innings on a pitch offering turn and bounce and required a further 220 for victory.

The morning was dominated by Hampshire, aided by some poor shots from the Somerset tail. Abbott and Dawson both added to their first-day victims, while Berg wrapped up the innings with two for eight from 2.3 overs.

By lunch the visitors had comfortably wiped out a 35-run deficit on first innings, reaching 54 without loss. After the break Carberry and Dawson extended their opening stand to 84 before a see-saw contest took another turn.

Carberry drove Bess in the air to cover where James Hildreth parried the ball into the path of extra cover fielder Tom Abell. It signalled a collapse to 140 for six, Bess claiming the first five wickets to fall.

The pick of his deliveries beat James Vince in the flight as he advanced and bowled him through the gate for 19, a cameo that included two sixes and a four.

Throughout the afternoon Hampshire batted in cavalier fashion and at first it seemed the approach might be their downfall.

When Jack Leach bowled Lewis McManus, aiming a big swing the ball after hitting him for six, the lead was only 105 and Somerset looked to have regained the initiative.

But Berg had other ideas, striking seven fours and two sixes as the Hampshire tail wagged to considerable effect. Abbott hit a valuable 33 before Mason Crane built on those efforts with a career-best 29.

Reece Topley shared a priceless last-wicket stand of 36 with Crane before he was eventually caught at mid-on to give Bess, who sent down 23.3 overs, turning the ball at just the right pace, his seventh wicket.

It has been an extraordinary start to the career of the young Sidmouth cricketer, who already boasts 23 wickets in seven Championship innings having made his debut towards the end of last season.

He also took an excellent running catch at third man to dismiss the dangerous Sean Ervine for 27 off Jamie Overton, who bowled well for his two for 43.

Somerset were left with 10 overs in the day to bat and set about their target with vigour, Marcus Trescothick taking three boundaries in an over off Topley. He was unbeaten on 22 at the close, with Dean Elgar 17 not out.

Day one report

Jack Leach delivered a strong reminder of his undoubted talent as 12 wickets fell to spin on the first day of the Specsavers' County Championship game between Somerset and Hampshire.

Having come in to the game with only six first-class wickets to his name this summer, the 25-year-old left-arm spinner doubled his season's tally as Hampshire were bowled out for 162 inside 50 overs.

By the close, Somerset, for whom Dean Elgar scored 60, trailed by five runs with as many first innings wickets in hand.

A morning that began brightly for Hampshire finished with Somerset firmly on top. Having won the toss, the visitors, looked in precious little trouble in reaching 34 without loss in the 14th over.

However, by the time the two sides sat down for a lunch, Hampshire had already lost more than half of their first-innings wickets.

Openers Michael Carberry and Liam Dawson got the board moving inside the first hour before Dawson (13), carelessly pulled a short ball from Leach to Dom Bess at square leg. Carberry (17) followed at 34 for two and five overs later, Leach struck again. This time, it was James Vince who fell to the slow left-armer, for 11.

Rilee Rossouw (0) and Sean Ervine (eight) departed shortly after to Leach and Bess respectively and before lunch arrived, Lewis McManus had been caught by James Hildreth at short leg, off the bowling of Bess for a first-ball duck. Although the wicket was taking considerable turn, it had been a less than impressive display of batting.

Having reduced Hampshire to 100 for six at lunch, Somerset finally bowled out the visitors for 162 off 49.1 overs.

Leach, who had Gareth Berg stumped by Steven Davies for 10 at 100 for seven, sent back George Bailey (49) with a delightful delivery that pitched on leg stump and struck off.

Jamie Overton denied the spin twins all 10 first-innings wickets when he picked up the scalp of Mason Crane (one) at 154 for nine. However, it was business as usual for Leach in the 50th over when he trapped Kyle Abbott (49) lbw.

Somerset's reply was decent without being totally satisfactory. Still, by the close they had moved to within five runs of Hampshire's modest total.

Marcus Trescothick departed for six at 15 for one before captain Tom Abell and Elgar added 75 for the second wicket. However, when Abell departed, for 40, at 90 for two, Hampshire clawed their way back into the game with three further wickets falling before the close.

Elgar, who became the first batsman on the day to reach 50, off 74 balls with six fours and a six, made 60 but fell to Dawson, who finished the day with three for 44 off 15 overs.

James Hildreth was adjudged lbw to Abbott for seven at 119 for three and after Elgar's dismissal at 121 for four, Peter Trego was fifth man out at 141 in the 37th over, for 10. Davies and Lewis Gregory saw Somerset through to the close without any further setbacks.