Just minutes after seeing his side cruise to a nine wicket victory over wooden spoonists Essex, Somerset Coach told me, "We were very very good. On a flat wicket at Chelmsford the boys did well to bowl them out twice."

He went on, "Jamie Cox's innings was the best that I have seen him bat, and he received good support from Rob Turner, with Richard Johnson and Jason Kerr bludgeoning important runs at the end."

What was the situation regarding the Championship runner's up position I asked him.

The coach said, "It looks like the Kent game will end in a draw, which means that we need six points from our final match next week to be certain of second place. This will leave Kent needing twenty points from their last match at Old Trafford, which is a tall order."

© SOMERSET