JAMES OVERTON took five wickets as Somerset ignited their Rothesay County Championship challenge and handed defending champions Nottinghamshire their first defeat of the season at Trent Bridge.

Starting the final day needing seven more wickets to claim their first win of the season Somerset eased to a 306-run win with Overton returning second-innings figures of five for 29.

The hosts had started day four on 47 for three, chasing an improbable 473 to win. But number nine Fergus O’Neill was the only batter to show resistance, making an unbeaten 54 as his side stumbled to 166 all out.

Essex moved to the top of the table after shrugging off some stern resistance from Leicestershire’s Lewis Hill to claim a six-wicket win at Grace Road.

Hill hit an unbeaten 127 and was the last man standing as the hosts gamely tried to make it difficult for the hosts in their follow-on, eventually reaching 428 all out.

But despite their earlier frustration, Essex reached their target with something to spare, a 110 from opener Paul Walker seeing them to their target of 217 for the loss of four wickets.

Also in Division One, Sam Hain’s heroics helped Warwickshire hold out for a draw against Yorkshire at Scarborough.

Resuming on 44 for one in pursuit of a notional 453, the visitors produced a solid batting display with Hain hitting 69 and a 58 from captain Ed Barnard, before their lower order edged them home with two wickets intact.

In Division Two, hosts Northamptonshire completed a seven-wicket win over Gloucestershire, Calvin Harrison’s unbeaten 92 easing them to their target of 191 with three wickets to spare.

Earlier, James Bracey spearheaded Gloucestershire’s resistance in their follow-on with an unbeaten 148, with 64 from opener Cameron Bancroft also helping the visitors to make a game of it.

Zafar Gohar finished with second innings figures of six for 31 as Middlesex completed a 141-run win over hosts Worcestershire.

Worcestershire had resumed on 33 for two in pursuit of 358, and Ben Allison led the resistance with a fine 89 before his dismissal sparked a collapse from 131 for four to 155 for seven, with the spinner doing most of the damage.