Tuesday 10 June 2014 20:41, UK
Somerset made sure they didn’t waste Alfonso Thomas’ achievement of taking four wickets in four balls by clinching a six-wicket win over Sussex in LV= County Championship action.
Looking to wipe out a first-inning deficit of 75, the visitors had reached 33-0 on the third morning at Taunton before the Division One fixture swung emphatically in favour of their opponents in the space of nine balls.
In that time Sussex lost five wickets without adding to their total, Thomas sparking the collapse when he claimed a hat-trick, James Anyon the first to go for 18 before both Rory Hamilton-Brown and Ed Joyce fell for ducks.
The experienced seamer made it four victims in as many deliveries, a feat never previously achieved by a Somerset bowler in first-class cricket, when he bowled Matt Machan before he'd troubled the scorers at the start of his next over, while in between Peter Trego dismissed Chris Nash for 12.
Luke Wright and Ben Brown both made 35 apiece but Sussex were bowled out for 178, Thomas finishing with 5-50. Left chasing 104, Nick Compton steered the hosts over the line with an unbeaten 38 to secure a 21-point haul which puts the Cidermen top of Division One.
The clash between Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire is evenly poised with a day to go at Headingley, the away side reaching 102-2 in their second innings to lead their opponents by 60.
Former Tykes batsman Michael Lumb made 42 not out as he and James Taylor, who reached the close unbeaten on 27, put on an unbroken partnership worth 72 after the early loss of openers Alex Hales and Phil Jacques.
Their bowlers had done a good job to restrict Yorkshire to 247 earlier, giving the hosts a 42-run lead. Aaron Finch made 45, as too did Richard Pyrah before both well-set batsmen fell to the left-arm spin of Samit Patel.
Peter Siddle was, however, the pick of the Nottinghamshire attack, the Australian ending with figures of 4-65 having removed opening pair Adam Lyth and Alex Lees way back on the first evening of the contest.
In other Division One games still going on, Lancashire finished Tuesday's rain-hit action at Edgbaston on 84-2 in their second innings, meaning they hold a slender advantage of 48 over Warwickshire..
Openers Paul Horton (42) and Alex Davies (30) put on 71 for the Red Rose county but both perished before the close of play, falling to Boyd Rankin and Jeetan Patel respectively.
Warwickshire had earlier managed to make 322 before finally being bowled out. Tim Ambrose (62) and Rikki Clarke (56) making half-centuries while Keith Barker ended up 44 not out as the Bears worked their way in front.
