Somerset cap fine season with win over Northants

Mike Burns hit a 112-ball century as Somerset ended an excellent season in style with an exciting 12-run victory over Northants at Taunton.

The C&G Trophy winners and Championship runners-up began the day needing victory to be sure of avoiding relegation from the Norwich Union League First Division, but eventually finished in fourth place.

They only knew they were safe when, with Northants 239-9, chasing 256 to win, it was announced that arch-rivals Gloucestershire had lost to condemn themselves to the third relegation place.

That news lifted the atmosphere and when Steffan Jones shattered the stumps of last man Jason Brown to dismiss Northants for 243, hundreds of supporters poured on to the field to celebrate a memorable summer.

After losing the toss, Somerset were given a solid start by skipper Jamie Cox, who cruised to his half-century off 53 balls, with eight fours and a six, before being inhibited by a hamstring strain and requiring a runner.

Cox was brilliantly caught one-handed on the long-on boundary by Jason Brown off Jeff Cook for 68. And when Keith Parsons fell for a single Somerset were in some bother at 126-4.

They were rescued by an unbroken stand of 129 between Burns and Rob Turner (41 not out). Burns reached his hundred off the last ball of the innings, having emerged from a watchful start to hit seven fours and one six. Cook was the pick of the Northants bowlers with 2-44 from his nine overs.

The visitors looked the more likely winners when Mike Hussey (91) and Russell Warren (59) put on 112 for the second wicket in quick time to take the total to 158-1 in only the 25th over.

But the introduction of spinners Keith Dutch (3-38) and Ian Blackwell (3-39) turned the game as both picked up wickets regularly and put a sharp brake on the scoring rate.

Hussey hit 13 fours in his sparkling innings, while Warren's runs came off just 56 balls, with three sixes. But after them the Northants batting folded abysmally and only Alec Swann with 31 not out offered any resistance.