Alfonso Thomas hurries Somerset win

Somerset 517 and beat Nottinghamshire 339 and by 10 wickets
Scorecard

Somerset recorded their fourth Championship Division One victory in five outings, beating Nottinghamshire by 10 wickets. The victory, achieved with more than a day to spare, earned Marcus Trescothick's side 24 points and keeps their hopes of lifting the coveted title for the first time very much alive.

Resuming their first innings on 278 for 5, Nottinghamshire captain Chris Read, unbeaten on 75 overnight, opened his account with a boundary off the last ball of the opening over - bowled by Charl Willoughby.

The left arm seamer had the last laugh however when Read was caught by wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter for 80 as he pushed forward to the last ball of the 81st over - the first with the new ball. Read added 157 for the sixth wicket with Samit Patel, before being dismissed with the score on 287.

Patel reached his century when he edged Willoughby through the vacant third slip area, but in the next over he was out leg before wicket as he played back to a delivery from Alfonso Thomas. Patel scored 104 off 185 balls, including 17 fours and two sixes.

Andre Adams brought up the 300 with a boundary through midwicket, but after moving on to 20 he attempted to drive Willoughby and was caught by Kieswetter. Willoughby struck twice more to wrap up the innings, accounting for Paul Franks leg before, and two balls later bowling Charlie Shreck as the visitors were all out for 339.

In the morning session Willoughby took four wickets for 26 runs from 6.3 overs to end with six for 101. Trescothick enforced the follow-on, and batting for a second time 178 runs behind, the visitors lost Matt Wood, leg before to Willoughby with the score on one.

By lunch the score had reached 28 off 10 overs without further loss - but four overs after the break Alex Hales, who had moved on to 28, stepped down the wicket to Murali Kartik and edged to Kieswetter.

In the next over Thomas had new batsman Patel caught at first slip by Trescothick for one and the visitors found themselves 42 for 3. Mark Wagh was joined by David Hussey and between them they took the total on to 93 when Wagh was lbw pushing forward to to Zander de Bruyn for 45.

New batsman Ali Brown brought up the 100 with a boundary through cover point off De Bruyn in the 31st over. When Willoughby replaced De Bruyn at the Old Pavilion End, Brown - 16 at the time - gave a chance which Kieswetter, just failed to take diving to his right.

De Bruyn's return to the attack paid dividends when he bowled Hussey, shouldering arms, for 30 which brought Read to the wicket. The Nottinghamshire skipper spent eight overs at the crease before he was caught by De Bruyn at deep backward mid-off for four off Thomas.

The same bowler then had Paul Franks caught by James Hildreth for one at backward square leg in his next over - and the visitors were rocking on 168 for 7. Thomas struck again in his next over when he had Brown leg before wicket for 47 but the visitors went ahead when Adams edged Kartik through first slip to the boundary.

However, the left arm spinner got his revenge when he trapped the batsman leg before in his next over for 10. Thomas claimed the final wicket when he bowled Shreck for three as Nottinghamshire were all out for 190, giving him final figures of 5 for 40 from 14.4 overs.

Needing 13 for victory Somerset reached their target in 11 balls, with Trescothick unbeaten on four and Nick Compton five not out, with the remaining runs being extras. Notts picked up five points for their part in the match.