DAY 1

On the first day of the LV= County Championship match between Somerset and Worcestershire at Taunton Worcestershire were bowled out for 212 in their first innings and in reply Somerset were 142-0, trailing by 70 runs, at the close of play.

Worcestershire made two changes from the Warwickshire defeat as Neil Pinner and Aneesh Kapil replaced Matt Pardoe and Joe Leach and after winning the toss and deciding to bat first the visitors started brightly as Daryl Mitchell and Phil Hughes put on 74 for the opening wicket until the introduction of Abdur Rehman paid immediate dividends for Somerset when Hughes was caught at slip by Marcus Trescothick for 42.  

In his next over Rehman had Mitchell caught by James Hildreth at second slip for 28 and then after Moeen Ali had hit a 6 and then a 7, which came from four overthrows after running three, Pinner was the third wicket to fall, with the score on 94, when he got a leading edge and was caught and bowled by Rehman for 6.  It then became 119-4 when Ali was caught at short-leg by Chris Jones off Rehman for 24 and Worcestershire added 12 more runs as they reached lunch on 131-4 off 33 overs.

In the afternoon session Alexei Kervezee was lbw to Rehman for 40 off 65 balls, with 6 fours, with the score on 155-5 and then when Rehman took the wickets of Brett D'Oliveira, lbw for 2, and Kapil, bowled for 22, Worcestershire had lost 7 wickets for 100 runs as they slumped to 174-7 in the 49th over.

Rehman's hopes of taking all ten wickets were dashed when Peter Trego got Chris Russell to edge behind to Steve Snell for 2 but he ended up with figures of 9-65 off 24 overs as he trapped both Nick Harrison (10) and Alan Richardson (0) lbw, to leave Ben Cox unbeaten on 25, and Worcestershire were all out for 212 off 65 overs.

Then Somerset's opening pair of Trescothick and Arul Suppiah batted out the rest of the day as Trescothick went to his 50 off 75 balls, with 9 fours, and Suppiah off 70 balls, with 7 fours and 1 six, and at stumps the home side had reached 142-0 off 36 overs.

Worcestershire's director of cricket Steve Rhodes spoke to BBC Hereford and Worcester's Dave Bradley after the first day's play at Taunton;

To listen to the interview please click here

DAY 2

Worcestershire had a long day out on the field as Somerset ended the second day at Taunton on 451-7, a lead of 239 runs.

Somerset began the day on 142-0 and in the fourth over of the day Arul Suppiah was out for 75 off 105 balls, with 9 fours and 1 six, when he returned the ball to Moeen Ali to end an opening wicket partnership of 153.  Marcus Trescothick then went on to reach his century off 187 balls, with 13 fours, as along with Nick Compton the pair took the home side to lunch on 227-1 off 67 overs.

After lunch Compton got to his 50 off 129 balls, with 5 fours and 1 six, when he lofted Ali over long-on for 6 and then, after a rain shower had brought an early tea, the second wicket partnership eventually ended on 154 when Trescothick edged an Alan Richardson delivery to Daryl Mitchell at second slip for 146 off 260 balls, with 19 fours, with the score on 307-2 in the 90th over.

Richardson (3-66 off 35 overs) then deservedly took two more wickets as both James Hildreth (19) and Chris Jones (1) were lbw to leave Somerset on 343-4 in the 102nd over.  Compton then went on to reach his century off 248 balls, with 9 fours and 1 six, and Peter Trego scored a cameo 45 off 45 balls, with 5 fours and 2 sixes, before he was bowled by Chris Russell (1-82 off 13 overs), with the score on 417-5 in the 118th over.  Ali (3-126 off 42 overs) then picked up the wickets of Craig Overton, caught by Neil Pinner at short-leg for 4, and Steve Snell, bowled for 10, but Compton was unbeaten on 114 off 283 balls, with 10 fours and 1 six, as Somerset ended the second day on 451-7, a lead of 239 runs.

Worcestershire captain Daryl Mitchell spoke to BBC Hereford and Worcester's Dave Bradley after the second day's play at Taunton;

To listen to the interview please click here

DAY 3

Worcestershire were comprehensively beaten on the third day against Somerset at Taunton by an innings and 148 runs.

Somerset began the day on 451-7, leading by 239 runs, and 37 runs were added until Alan Richardson took his 500th first-class wicket by trapping Alfonso Thomas lbw for 17.  Abdur Rehman was out for 7, with the score on 503, when he was caught by Alexei Kervezee at extra cover off Moeen Ali and Somerset eventually declared on 512-9 off 140 overs, with Nick Compton unbeaten on 155 off 322 balls, with 15 fours and 1 six.  For Worcestershire Richardson ended up with figures of 4-100 from 41 overs and Ali took 4-143 from 48 overs.

Trailing by 300 runs Worcestershire lost their first wicket in the 5th over when Phil Hughes (4) was caught behind by Steve Snell off Peter Trego and then Daryl Mitchell (18) was caught by James Hildreth at second slip off Abdur Rehman as the visitors went to lunch on 39-2 off 15 overs.  After lunch Neil Pinner (14) was lbw to Thomas, with the score on 50-3, Ali (24) was caught sharply by Marcus Trescothick at second slip off Craig Overton and when Rehman bowled both Aneesh Kapil (2) and Brett D'Oliveira (3) the visitors had slumped to 93-6 in the 34th over.

Ben Cox (4) was caught brilliantly by Arul Suppiah at mid-wicket off Steve Kirby, with the score on 123-7, although Alexei Kervezee stood firm as he went to his 50 off 64 balls, with 6 fours, but Worcestershire's resistance wasn't going to last as Chris Russell (1) was caught at leg-slip by Trego off Rehman, Nick Harrison (0) played on to be bowled by Thomas and when Kervezee, 76 off 87 balls, with 12 fours, was caught at first slip by Trescothick off Rehman, who ended up with 5-36 and match figures of 14-101, Worcestershire were all out for 152 off 45.4 overs to round off a sorry ending to their two-year stay in Division One of the LV= County Championship.

Worcestershire's director of cricket Steve Rhodes spoke to BBC Hereford and Worcester's Dave Bradley after their defeat at Taunton;

To listen to the interview please click here