Somerset sweep past Hampshire

Graham Rose and Steffan Jones of Somerset humbled Hampshire's batting in their championship match at Taunton. With both bowlers taking four wickets the visitors tumbled from 62-1 to 142 all out. Somerset were already batting when the sun shone at last in mid-afternoon and went on to score 208-4 by the close (66 runs ahead).

Opener Giles White (44), himself formerly with the county, alone defied Somerset with some support from Will Kendall (29). Swing bowling, effecting five successful l.b.w decisions, was more to blame for the poor batting than the state of the pitch. Shane Warne (29) hit out to raise the total from 104-7 at lunch, but it was not enough.

Conditions improved almost immediately afterwards - but by then it was too late for Hampshire. Mark Lathwell, who had been out for the whole of last summer through injury, and Jamie Cox both were out to John Stephenson at 58. It was the 90 runs fourth-wicket stand between Keith Parsons (46) and Piran Holloway (53 n.o.) which put Somerset on top.