Trego and de Bruyn seal victory

Somerset 215 and 367 for 8 dec beat Essex 151 and 212 by 219 runs
Scorecard

Somerset boosted their title hopes, with a convincing 219-run victory over Essex at Colchester moving them up to second place in the County Championship table.

Relegation-threatened Essex resumed the day on 38 for 1 in pursuit of a 432-run victory target - but realistically they were never in with a chance. The hosts were bowled out for 212 with four sessions to spare and now look doomed to start next season in Division Two.

Somerset were rushed to victory by the gentle medium pace of Zander De Bruyn, who picked up the last four wickets to finish with four for 23 from 7.2 overs. Essex's hopes of making a real fight of it and steering clear of an embarrassing defeat rested on the shoulders of Ravi Bopara.

But while his county colleague Alastair Cook was rediscovering his form with a century for England against Pakistan in south London, Bopara again failed to deliver. On this occasion he made only 15 before he was bowled by Peter Trego with a delivery which kept low. His far from convincing stay lasted for 38 deliveries and he has now scored just 56 in his last six Championship innings - hardly the sort of form which will earn him a place on this winter's tour of Australia.

Only two Essex players got beyond 20. Opener Billy Godleman reached 53 with his seventh four but the next delivery from Trego found the edge and provided wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter with one of his three victims. Godleman faced 98 balls.

Ryan ten Doeschate was the only other batsman to hold up Somerset for long, scoring 41 from 74 balls, six of which he despatched to the boundary. Ten Doeschate departed when De Bruyn breached his defences and with his next delivery he had Danish Kaneria caught at deep fine leg by Charles Willoughby. Trego, with 3 for 27, was the other main destroyer as Essex were demolished.

Somerset emerged with 20 points but Essex had to settle for just one after they were deducted two points for a slow over rate.