Root takes four wickets as Yorkshire beat Somerset

Breaking news from the world of sport: Root takes four wickets as Yorkshire beat Somerset Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Joe Root has taken eight wickets in two games for Yorkshire this season Published 4 minutes ago Rothesay County Championship, Division One, Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton (day four) Yorkshire 162 & 365-9: Wharton 92, Root 64; Overton 3-97 Somerset 274 & 184: Thomas 136; White 4-41 Yorkshire (19 pts) beat Somerset (4 pts) by 75 runs Match scorecard Joe Root played a starring role with the ball as Yorkshire completed a remarkable 75-run County Championship Division One victory over Somerset at Taunton. The visitors were able to add only six runs to their second innings score at the start of play, Jhye Richardson reaching a 122-ball half-century before being caught behind off Craig Overton, who finished with 4-94 in a total of 371. It left Somerset facing a target of 260 to achieve a third Championship victory in four games on a flat pitch.

They soon slumped to 21-3 and were eventually bowled out for 184 shortly after tea, Root claiming 4-49 and fellow spinner Dom Bess 4-60 as Josh Thomas top-scored with 57 for the home side. It meant Yorkshire took 19 points from a game in which they conceded a first innings lead of 112 and defeat cost Somerset the Division One leadership as they had to be content with four points. The morning session was played under mainly blue skies.

Match Details

But after Overton's early strike had ended Yorkshire's fighting second innings, the hosts suffered all-too-familiar top order batting frailty. Archie Vaughan was bowled for four playing down the wrong line to a delivery from George Hill, who then switched ends to clip Tom Lammonby's off stump as he shouldered arms to a ball angled into him. When James Rew was caught behind driving at former Somerset off-spinner Bess, the hosts were in disarray and, with 239 still needed, Yorkshire were favourites.

Tom Abell suffered no alarms in moving to 24 by lunch, which was taken at 57-3, with first innings centurion Thomas unbeaten on 23. The pair had extended their stand to 64 when Abell, on 41, pushed forward to Bess and edged to Hill at slip to make the score 85-4. Teenager Thomas Rew walked to the wicket facing the possibility of bagging a pair on his Championship debut.

But the 18-year-old soon eased any nerves by getting off the mark with a sweetly-timed boundary through the covers off Bess. Bess found some extravagant turn to beat the outside edge of Thomas's bat, but the left-hander survived to reach 50 off 140 balls. Rew was not afraid to go for his shots and, while an early reverse sweep off Bess resulted in a confident appeal for a catch at short-leg, the youngster was soon showing the quality that made him England Under-19 captain at the age of 17.

The second 50-stand of the innings occupied 15 overs and, with the sun shining brightly, Somerset looked back in control, but fortunes swung again when Thomas pushed forward to Bess and edged a routine catch to slip.

The story has climbed to the top of the sports agenda, with fans and analysts following closely.