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Somerset retain top spot with victory over Warwickshire

Lancashire made it three wins from three with a six-wicket win over Worcestershire.

Somerset needed just over two hours of the third day to wrap up a 49-run victory over Warwickshire at Taunton and consolidate their position at the top of the Specsavers County Championship.

Sam Hain ended unbeaten on 92 and featured in a last-wicket stand of 49 with Oliver Hannon-Dalby (13) before the visitors were bowled out for 189 in their second innings, with Lewis Gregory claiming four for 48.

Somerset took 20 points from their third Championship victory in four games, while their opponents had to settle for three and remain anchored at the foot of the First Division.

In the Second Division,ย Lancashire leapfrogged promotion rivals Worcestershire with a hard-fought six-wicket victory at Old Trafford.

Chasing 126 on a challenging surface, Lancashire slipped to 32 for four before lunch, only to recover through their captain Dane Vilas and fifth-wicket partner Rob Jones, who shared an unbroken 95 inside 30 overs.

South African Vilas led the way with 60 not out off 89 balls, while Jones finished unbeaten on 31 as victory was wrapped up midway through the third afternoon.

Dane Vilas
Dane Vilas led Lancashire to victory (Adam Davy/PA)

The 20-point win is their third in a row at the start of the season โ€“ย the first time they have won their first three Championship matches in a campaign since 1995 and the days of Mike Atherton and Wasim Akram.

Gloucestershire secured their first win of the championship season by defeating Durham by six wickets at Emirates Riverside.

The visitors started the day requiring only 53 runs for victory after opening pairing Chris Dent and Miles Hammond had knocked off over half of the 117 target the previous evening.

Although the visitors lost three further wickets, Gloucestershire were able to ease their way to their maiden Championship triumph to move up to third in the table.

Durham, meanwhile, remain rooted to the foot of the standings after slipping to a fourth successive defeat.

Tom Cullen held his nerve to score an unbeaten half century that steered Glamorgan to a thrilling two-wicket victory over Derbyshire.

The 27-year-old wicketkeeper, who was only playing because Chris Cooke is injured, scored 51 from 88 balls to take Glamorgan to their target of 246 with help from Andrew Salter (26) and Lukas Carey (nine not out).

Derbyshire were favourites when they reduced Glamorgan to 162 for seven with Ravi Rampaul taking three wickets, but Cullen played superbly to give his side their first championship win of the season.

Back in the top division,ย Ajinkya Rahane marked his Hampshire debut with a century before Sam Northeast boosted his England Test ambitions with three figures of his own as Hampshire dominated Nottinghamshire on the Isle of Wight.

Surrey v Hampshire โ€“ Specsavers County Championship โ€“ Division One โ€“ Kia Oval
Sam Northeast is the leading first-class runscorer in the country (John Walton/PA)

Rahane became just the seventh player to collect a ton on his debut for Hampshire having made 119.

At the other end for a record 257-run stand for the third wicket, Northeast continued his eye-catching early season form with an almost impeccable 133.

Hampshire eventually declared on 367 for five with a 438-run lead, which was whittled down to 397 at close, with Nottinghamshire reaching stumps on 42 for two.

Kent,ย needing 426 for a second win of the campaign, lost only Zak Crawley as they closed on 46 for one against Surrey.

Earlier, Sam Curran hit 80 and Scott Borthwick 58 as Surrey were bowled out for 280.

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