Somerset maintained their bid to win a maiden Specsavers County Championship title by beating Yorkshire at Headingley by 224 runs to leave the hosts in the relegation zone.

Tom Abell’s side wrapped up their third straight win shortly after tea to close the gap on Division One leaders Surrey to 32 points with four games left to play, including a meeting between the two at Taunton in the penultimate week of the season.

Yorkshire started day four on eight for two chasing an improbable target of 419 and were bowled out for 194.

Lewis Gregory continued his excellent game with bat and ball by breaking a frustrating third-wicket stand of 90 between nightwatchman Josh Shaw and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson just before lunch.

The Overton twins then took over as Williamson was caught behind off Craig Overton two balls after reaching 50.

Overton then trapped Tom Kohler-Cadmore lbw before brother Jamie flicked Gary Ballance’s off-stump three balls later.

Jamie struck again to send Jack Leaning’s off-stump cartwheeling and Gregory dismissed Andrew Hodd.

Captain David Willey and Matthew Fisher offered some resistance with a 45-run stand either side of tea but the latter fell to Jamie Overton, who wrapped up the game by getting Jack Brooks caught at second slip to finish with four for 25.

Hampshire are just a point above Yorkshire after Peter Siddle took five for 48 as Essex claimed their fourth Specsavers County Championship win of the season by an innings and 52 runs.

The Australian was ably supported by Simon Harmer, with only Tom Alsop (51) and Sam Northeast (41) offering any meaningful resistance.

In Division Two Kent moved into a promotion spot with a six-wicket win over Derbyshire.

Spinners Adam Riley and Joe Denly took four wickets each as Derbyshire were evntually bowled out for 270 in their second innings after following on – Harvey Hosein top-scoring with an unbeaten 66.

That left Kent needing 110 to win, and although Hamidullah Qadri struck twice, an unbeaten 22 from Daniel Bell-Drummond got them over the line and saw them go second.

Gloucestershire climbed away from the foot of the table as Ryan Higgins finished with career-best match figures of eight for 54 in a 328-run victory over Leicestershire at Bristol.

Beginning the final day on 117 for six, facing a target of 494, the visitors were bowled out for 165 before lunch, Higgins claiming four for 28 and Craig Miles three for 44.

Mark Cosgrove top-scored with 52 but it was far too little, too late as two poor batting displays saw Leicestershire comprehensively beaten.