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Superb Abell steers Somerset to 413-5 to beat Bears

Tom Abell batting for Somerset
Tom Abell's unbroken stand of 114 with James Rew took Somerset home [Getty Images]

Vitality County Championship Division One, Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton (day four)

Warwickshire 412: Burgess 147 & 281-8 dec: Bethell 66; Overton 4-57

Somerset 284 & 413-5: Abell 152*, Banton 81

Somerset (20 pts) beat Warwickshire (7 pts) by five wickets

Match scorecard

Former Somerset captain Tom Abell hit a career-best 152 not out as his side completed a superb run chase to beat winless Warwickshire by five wickets at Taunton.

After the Bears had declared on their overnight score of 281-8, Tom Banton (81), James Rew (57 not out) and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (49) all weighed in with important knocks as the hosts reached 413-5 with 4.2 overs to spare.

Somerset's third County Championship win of the season - after the second-highest match-winning fourth-innings run chase in their history - lifted them to second in the table, 23 points behind defending champions Surrey.

Warwickshire's third defeat in nine games, to go with six draws, leaves them just five points clear of neighbours Worcestershire, who are in ninth, in the first of the two relegation places.

The County Championship now takes a seven-week break before returning in late August.

Chasing such a big target, Somerset knew a good start was imperative - and former Bears opener Andy Umeed made a good start, hitting 30 of the first 44 runs on the board before beihg caught behind off Oliver Hannon-Dalby.

Tom Lammonby then top-edged an attempted pull shot on 26 off Michael Booth and fell for 26, brilliantly caught by Ed Barnard at fine leg.

Kohler-Cadmore was taken by former Worcestershire team-mate Barnard at third man off Hannon-Dalby before a 138-run stand between Abell and Banton, who was finally caught by Rob Yates off Barnard at mid-wicket.

Somerset's Tom Banton
Tom Banton has gone past 50 five times in the Championship this season [Getty Images]

Somerset promoted Migael Pretorius in the bid for quick runs - but the South African managed just 14 off 10 balls before top-edging a catch to cover.

With 111 needed off the final 20 overs, left-hander Rew then rediscovered last summer's form as he and Abell kept Somerset on course.

Warwickshire delayed taking the new ball, perhaps reasoning that a softer one was more difficult to strike for boundaries - but the gamble did not work as Abell and Rew finish the game with a flurry of boundaries.

Rew completed a 51-ball fifty before Abell went 4-4-6-6 to end the game and complete his own new individual milestone in the process.

What happens next?

Both sides now have a 49-day break before the County Championship resumes on 22 August, when Warwickshire and Somerset play each other again at Edgbaston.

It will be the first of two successive Warwickshire home games - followed by the visit of relegation rivals Kent the following week, while Somerset are at home to Durham, also starting on 29 August.