County Championship: Lancashire defeat at Somerset confirms title

Essex have won the County Championship for the first time since 1992 after closest challengers Lancashire lost to Somerset by seven wickets at Taunton.

Only an unlikely victory would have been enough to keep Lancashire in the title race following Essex's innings win over Warwickshire on Thursday.

Somerset took the final two Lancashire wickets cheaply on day four and chased their target of 68 comfortably.

The defeat leaves Lancashire 56 points behind Essex with two games to play.

The Red Rose county remain second in Division One, while Somerset's second consecutive Championship victory may be enough to lift them out of the relegation zone once the ongoing round of fixtures has been completed.

Lancashire led by only 45 runs overnight with two wickets remaining and Somerset seamer Craig Overton wrapped up their second innings quickly, bowling Kyle Jarvis and then trapping Tom Bailey lbw.

Leg-spinner Matt Parkinson (3-37) took two wickets in two balls during Somerset's chase but the home side knocked off the runs required in just 13.3 overs.

In their first season with Glen Chapple as head coach, it has been a year of progress for Lancashire.

A first Championship title since 2011 has eluded them, although there has been no repeat of last season's narrow escape from relegation.

(BBC)