Somerset go down without a fight

Somerset 191 and 101 Leicestershire 310 Leicestershire win by an innings and 18 runs

A woeful batting display by Somerset and some superlative seam and swing bowling by Javagal Srinath did for Somerset and leaves Leicestershire within a sniff of the money in the County Championship First Division.

That their last match is against the champions, Surrey, at The Oval next week will not deter the Foxes. This is a side that is once more brimming with confidence, and deservedly so given that they have bowled Somerset out twice in a total of 72 overs – and they needed fewer than five sessions in which to do so.

The humiliating defeat condemns Somerset to the Second Division next season and with batting like this they will fare no better. It was grimmer yesterday than their first innings. This time it was spineless.

Not even Michael Burns, next season's captain, could provide any backbone as they failed to wipe out the 119-run first innings lead that Leicestershire had accrued after batting on until just before lunch, with their Burns, Neil, a former Somerset player, contributing 46 and the veteran Phil DeFreitas an unbeaten 38.

True, Somerset's bowlers were a trifle better than they had been the previous day, but yet again a brittle batting performance, which began with the loss of the outgoing captain, Jamie Cox, in the over before lunch, let them down.

The Indian Test bowler Srinath was magnificent, moving the ball both ways, through the air and off the pitch. He reduced the batsmen to shambling, shuffling wrecks. By the time he had finished with them Somerset were seven down and almost out, one of those wickets was a run-out – a direct hit – by Srinath, to account for the opener Matthew Wood.

Srinath feels his body has about six months professional life left in it and he wants to play in next year's World Cup, but if he is overlooked by the India and misses out on a trip to South Africa next spring there is every chance that Leicestershire could persuade him to return for a full season.

His five-wicket haul yesterday brought his total in just four matches to 22, at a measly 16.27 apiece. He found good support in DeFreitas as well. When the pair of them were rested, Darren Maddy and Devon Malcolm took over to mop up the dregs.

Malcolm, now 39, has claimed more than 50 wickets this summer and still looks fit. His contract is up at the end of the season, but it is highly likely that he will be offered a further one-year deal and, like Srinath, he looks well worth it.