Somerset 469 and 103 for 2 beat Essex 158 and 412 (Allison 114, Critchley 94, Elgar 56, Leach 5-81) by eight wickets
Jack Leach produced a spin bowing masterclass as Somerset strengthened their challenge for a first ever Rothesay County Championship title with a crushing eight-wicket victory over Essex at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.
The 35-year-old left-armer returned figures of five for 81 from 55.2 overs, maintaining an immaculate line and length as the visitors were bowled out for 412 in their second innings from an overnight 314 for three. The Essex third-day heroes, Charlie Allison and Matt Critchley fell for 114 and 94 respectively.
That left Somerset a modest target of 102 which they achieved by 3.45pm off 19.2 overs for the loss of two wickets. Tom Lammonby hit 39 not out and Josh Thomas 31.
The hosts took 22 points to move within two of Division One leaders Nottinghamshire, while Essex had to settle for two. It was the first time since September 2019 that Somerset had won a Championship match without Craig Overton, who missed the game following the birth of a baby daughter.
Leach’s match figures nine for 118 suggest he may yet add to his 39 Test Match appearances. He will be a key figure as one of the most competitive races ever for a Championship title reaches what may well prove a thrilling climax.
Somerset were given a boost when skipper Lewis Gregory declared himself fit to bowl having been unable to do so on day three because of a bruised hip sustained fielding.
His two overs proved expensive as Allison and Critchley continued where they had left off the previous evening. A pulled four by Critchley off Gregory brought up a double century stand off 451 balls.
The pair had taken the score from 127 for three to 339 when Leach found the edge of Critchley’s bat and Tom Abell took a juggling catch at second slip. Critchley had faced 236 balls and hit 11 fours in a study of concentration.
Encouraged by that success, Leach added potency to his accuracy. It was 346 for five when Allison’s exceptional contribution ended, wicketkeeper James Rew taking a good catch to end a 254-ball innings from the 21-year-old, who had begun the day on 105.
Leach continued to pitch the ball in an area that made maximum use of the last day pitch and was rewarded again with the total on 350 as Michael Pepper edged to Abell, who took his second catch diving to his left.
When Noah Thain, on 11, fell to the same combination of bowler and fielder, Essex were 367 for seven and just 56 runs ahead. Simon Harmer and Shane Snater added 27 in the period up to lunch, but it had been Somerset’s morning and Leach’s in particular.
Archie Vaughan joined the party in the first over after the interval, having taken over from Leach, who had bowled all morning from the River End. The off-spinner turned a ball pitched wide and clipped the off stump as Snater played no shot.
Vaughan quickly followed up by ripping another delivery back to defeat Harmer’s defensive shot and bowl him for 24. Seamer Jake Ball was forced off by injury two balls into his 25th over of the innings, but Vaughan was on a role and pinned Jamie Porter lbw for figures of three for 123.
The last seven Essex wickets had fallen for 73runs and the only remaining concern for Somerset was whether Harmer or Critchley could match fellow spinner Leach’s efforts on the worn surface. Harmer was given the new ball, but Thomas and Lammonby produced an array of attacking shots from the outset to raise a half-century stand off just 6.5 overs.
Thomas fell to a top-edged sweep off Harmer with the total on 59. Lewis Goldsworthy followed cheaply to the same bowler and Lammonby was dropped on 27 at backward-square off Tom Westley, but by then the outcome was beyond doubt.
