Somerset secure Division One survival with thumping win over Northamptonshire

Somerset won by 352 runs at Taunton thanks to second-innings centuries from Tom Abell and Tom Lammonby and the bowling of Craig Overton, who finished with match figures of 7 for 74

Taunton: Somerset 389 & 337-4d, Northamptonshire 265 & 109 - Somerset won by 352 runs

Scorecard

Craig Overton finished with match figures of 7 for 74 as Somerset guaranteed their Division One survival with a thumping 352-run LV= Insurance County Championship win over Northamptonshire at Taunton.

The hosts began the final day by quickly extending their second innings total from 277 for 1 to 337 for 4  declared, centurions Tom Abell and Tom Lammonby falling for 115 and 110, respectively.

That set Northamptonshire a massive 462 to win. They lost their first four wickets for 15 before being bowled out for 109 in 30.4 overs.

Overton began the rout with a brilliant piece of fielding off his own bowling to run out Emilio Gay and then claimed 2 for 36 to add to his first innings figures of 5 for 38. Josh Davey finished with 3 for 25.

Somerset took 22 points from the game to move into sixth place in the Division One table, 25 clear of second from bottom Warwickshire going into the final round of fixtures, while Northants, themselves safe from the drop, claimed four points.

The day began with the home side looking to dispel any faint prospect of defeat by batting on for nearly half an hour, despite already being 401 in front.

^{Tom Lammonby and Tom Abell scored valuable second-innings centuries [Harry Trump/Getty Images]}

Abell added only three to his overnight score before being caught behind off Ben Sanderson, while Lammonby had extended his tally by nine when pulling a catch to midwicket off the same bowler.

George Bartlett contributed a brisk 17 before being pouched at deep midwicket off Jack White and Lewis Gregory capped an impressive Somerset batting display by smiting 29 not out off 11 balls.

Northants faced a minimum of 87 overs to bat out for a draw. They had reached 14 when Will Young played a ball from Overton defensively into the off side and called for a single. The England seamer raced to grab the ball and, with one stump to aim at threw down the stumps as he fell, with non-striker Gay short of his ground.

Three balls later, the inspired Overton pinned Luke Procter lbw for a duck and it was 15 for 3 when Davey found the edge of Josh Cobb's bat, wicketkeeper James Rew taking a routine catch.

Without a run added, Young edged Overton to Abell at second slip and Northants were in disarray.

Ricardo Vasconcelos helped Rob Keogh add 33 before falling just before lunch, lbw to Abell, bowling in the absence from the Somerset attack of the injured Gregory.

It was 49 for 5 at lunch and the second ball after the interval saw Keogh, on 15, pinned lbw on the back foot by Davey, who bowled with commendable accuracy on a fourth day pitch still offering some assistance to the seamers.

Davey's exemplary line and length paid dividends again with the total on 79 when Tom Taylor, who had moved confidently to 25, became another lbw victim, playing across the line.

Kasey Aldridge joined the Somerset party by having Lizaad Williams caught behind fending at a steeply rising delivery as the Northamptonshire batting showed little resistance under clear blue skies.

Aldridge claimed a second victim when Ben Sanderson edged a drive through to Rew and the game ended shortly after 2pm when last man White edged Abell to second slip where Overton capped his immense contribution with a fine diving catch.