Hildreth, Buttler lead Somerset romp

Yorkshire crashed to defeat by 131 runs in Saturday's Yorkshire Bank 40 match at Headingley after their batsmen were unable to match a vicious assault from Somerset, who piled up 338 for 5 off their 40 overs.

Putting their opponents in to bat, Yorkshire were under severe pressure right from the start as Marcus Trescothick and Peter Trego lashed 96 inside 10 overs for the first wicket - and that was only the beginning of the home side's misery.

Jos Buttler warmed up for next month's Champions Trophy with a blistering and audacious 89 from only 51 balls with 10 fours and four sixes, while James Hildreth also cruised along with an unbeaten 96 from 84 deliveries with seven fours and a six.

In all, Somerset plundered 31 fours and 10 sixes in their total - which was the highest score Yorkshire have conceded at Headingley in the competition and their fourth largest in all matches. Moin Ashraf was pasted for 80 off his eight overs but he was not the only one to suffer, Ryan Sidebottom going for 77 and Steve Patterson 62 from their full quotas.

Trego led the way in the opening partnership and he wasted no time in going on the attack, driving Patterson's second ball over long off for four and hitting him into the mid-wicket terracing for six. Trescothick helped himself to two fours and Trego two sixes in a Patterson over which cost 22 but there was a life for Trescothick on 15 when Gary Ballance could not hold on to a difficult chance flinging himself to his left at slip.

Trego's 50 arrived off just 26 balls with four fours and four sixes and with runs coming at around 10 an over it took an unlucky run out to break the stand, Trego driving back to Sidebottom and the ball deflecting into the stumps with Trescothick out of his crease.

There was brief respite for Yorkshire as Trego was bowled lashing out at Ashraf in the next over for 58 from 33 balls and Arul Suppiah edged Sidebottom to Adam Lyth at slip. But Alviro Petersen was then joined by Hildreth in an enterprising stand of 67 in 13 overs before Petersen fell to Will Rhodes' second ball, which was well taken by Andy Hodd standing up to the stumps.

Buttler then took over with some stunning strokes, his first six being smacked over extra cover off Rhodes and his second clearing long on at Rashid's expense before he reverse scooped Sidebottom over the wicketkeeper's head and followed up with a powerful drive. He was denied a spectacular century when he smashed Sidebottom towards the midwicket boundary and Rhodes did well to hold on to a stinging catch.

Buttler and Hildreth had racked up 129 together from 14 overs and Hildreth went on to power a six in the final over from Ashraf but missed the chance of a century by losing the strike.

Faced with a mountain to climb, Yorkshire's batsmen had little chance to settle themselves in and Richard Pyrah was soon dismissed by Trego who saw Andrew Gale dropped when Craig Meschede put down a simple chance at third man. Gale blasted Trego for a midwicket six but was bowled for 28 by Steve Kirby, who failed to hold on at the second attempt to a catch offered by Ballance on 5.

Ballance and Lyth added a useful 70 together before any realistic hopes Yorkshire had of winning the match vanished as Alfonso Thomas struck with consecutive balls by getting Lyth to sky a catch to Peterson and then holding a return catch from Adil Rashid.

Hodd was lbw to Kirby but Ballance held firm until he tried to swat a slow bouncer from Thomas only to be caught behind for 60 from 57 balls with seven fours and a six, the bowler picking up his fourth wicket. There was no sustained resistance to come and Yorkshire were all out with 10 overs remaining.

It was a disappointing day all round for the hosts, who announced that leading fast bowler Jack Brooks had broken his left thumb in the Championship match on the previous day and would be out of action for six weeks.