Somerset finish second in County Championship after Yorkshire defeat

Somerset lost to Yorkshire at Headingley in their penultimate match and handed the County Championship title to Warwickshire. They led the table by four points with two games remaining but finished as runners-up for the sixth time since 2010. Warwickshire clinched the title on the final day.

Captain Lewis Gregory and director of cricket Andy Hurry identified two defeats in May against Yorkshire at Taunton and Glamorgan at Cardiff as decisive moments. Both games were winnable positions that Somerset failed to convert. Hurry said the bowling unit showed marked improvement and the top six contributed more runs than in previous seasons.

Gregory said the squad contains talented players who will benefit from the experience. Warwickshire won five of their final six matches to claim their ninth Championship title, with Sam Hain scoring 1048 runs and Ethan Bamber taking 69 wickets.