Warwickshire cruise to victory over Somerset

Nick Knight took revenge on Somerset with a brilliant 84 not out as Warwickshire coasted to an eight-wicket Norwich Union League victory at Taunton.

Replying to a modest 190-8, the visitors never looked in much trouble and got home with a massive 14.2 overs to spare.

That was thanks largely to Knight, who on his last visit to the ground ended up at hospital, having been struck on the head by an Andy Caddick bouncer during Warwickshire's C&G Trophy semi-final defeat.

This time the pace bowling from Jason Kerr and Jamie Grove was much gentler and the left-hander took full advantage, hitting seven fours and two sixes in his 101-ball innings.

He received excellent support from Vasbert Drakes, who smacked 43 off just 35 balls, and Dougie Brown, whose 41-ball half-century featured six fours and two sixes.

Grove suffered most from the onslaught as his four overs went for 49. But the Somerset team in general looked to be suffering something of a hangover from the weekend's C&G Trophy celebrations.

Keith Parsons, man-of-the-match in the Lord's final victory over Leicestershire on Saturday, had earlier come to his side's aid again after they had won the toss.

Parsons continued in fine form, hitting 42 to boost the total to from 124-6 to 177-8 in the 44th over before being superbly caught by the diving Knight on the long-on boundary off Alan Richardson.

As chief executive Peter Anderson did a tour of the ground, offering spectators the chance to hold Somerset's first trophy in 18 years, Warwickshire's bowlers took a grip.

Vasbert Drakes removed openers Ian Blackwell and Peter Bowler with only 34 on the board before the third-wicket pair of Jamie Cox (42) and Mike Burns (27) put on 58, the best stand of the innings.

The middle order fell away as Mohammad Sheikh returned figures of 2-23 from his nine overs, while Neil Smith produced a tidy spell of off-spin to take 2-34. Drakes (2-40) and Richardson (2-36) completed a sound Warwickshire bowling display, with only Brown (0-48) ending wicketless.