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Vitality County Championship Division One, Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton (day four)
Warwickshire 412: Burgess 147 & 281-8 dec: Bethell 66; Overton 4-57
Somerset 284 & 413-5: Abell 152*, Banton 81
Somerset (20 pts) beat Warwickshire (7 pts) by five wickets
Former Somerset captain Tom Abell hit a career-best 152 not out as his side completed a superb run chase to beat winless Warwickshire by five wickets at Taunton.
After the Bears had declared on their overnight score of 281-8, Tom Banton (81), James Rew (57 not out) and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (49) all weighed in with important knocks as the hosts reached 413-5 with 4.2 overs to spare.
Somerset’s third County Championship win of the season – after the second-highest match-winning fourth-innings run chase in their history – lifted them to second in the table, 23 points behind defending champions Surrey.
Warwickshire’s third defeat in nine games, to go with six draws, leaves them just five points clear of neighbours Worcestershire, who are in ninth, in the first of the two relegation places.
The County Championship now takes a seven-week break before returning in late August.
Chasing such a big target, Somerset knew a good start was imperative – and former Bears opener Andy Umeed made a good start, hitting 30 of the first 44 runs on the board before beihg caught behind off Oliver Hannon-Dalby.
Tom Lammonby then top-edged an attempted pull shot on 26 off Michael Booth and fell for 26, brilliantly caught by Ed Barnard at fine leg.
Kohler-Cadmore was taken by former Worcestershire team-mate Barnard at third man off Hannon-Dalby before a 138-run stand between Abell and Banton, who was finally caught by Rob Yates off Barnard at mid-wicket.
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Somerset promoted Migael Pretorius in the bid for quick runs – but the South African managed just 14 off 10 balls before top-edging a catch to cover.
With 111 needed off the final 20 overs, left-hander Rew then rediscovered last summer’s form as he and Abell kept Somerset on course.
Warwickshire delayed taking the new ball, perhaps reasoning that a softer one was more difficult to strike for boundaries – but the gamble did not work as Abell and Rew finish the game with a flurry of boundaries.
Rew completed a 51-ball fifty before Abell went 4-4-6-6 to end the game and complete his own new individual milestone in the process.
What happens next?
Both sides now have a 49-day break before the County Championship resumes on 22 August, when Warwickshire and Somerset play each other again at Edgbaston.
It will be the first of two successive Warwickshire home games – followed by the visit of relegation rivals Kent the following week, while Somerset are at home to Durham, also starting on 29 August.
Somerset centurion Tom Abell:
“It is up there with the best innings I have ever played. I have made runs on more difficult pitches, but to get a hundred in such a demanding run chase and help us win is an incredible feeling.
“Andy Umeed and Tom Kohler-Cadmore played important roles in getting us off to a positive start. From then on, it was about putting partnerships together and that was what Tom Banton and myself were concentrating on. And James Rew played a great innings at the end.
“It was a great batting pitch and we fancied our chances, but Warwickshire have one of the best attacks in the country, so to make over 400 on the last day against them is very satisfying.”
Warwickshire head coach Mark Robinson told BBC Radio WM:
“There are always regrets when you lose, but we have looked to play positive cricket over the past three years and our declaration was another example.
“Things didn’t quite go our way with the ball at times. We could have had them four down without too many runs on the board with a bit of luck. We let them get away towards the end on what was a very good batting wicket.
“There is disappointment in the dressing room. But there were still so many positives to take out of the game for us going forward. We won’t alter the style in which we play our cricket.”