County Championship Division Two round-up

Champions drive home their advantage

Cricinfo staff

September 20, 2007

When Somerset gained promotion, Andy Caddick looked back fondly on beating Nottinghamshire at Taunton earlier this season, saying it gave him a marker of the kind of opposition they could expect in the top flight. In which case, he will be delighted with another crushing day at Trent Bridge - Somerset piling up 469 to take a first-innings lead of 311. Marcus Trescothick and Ian Blackwell converted their seventies to hundreds, and there was also a century for Peter Trego. Nottinghamshire, though, weren't finished: their second innings got off to a solid start before Mike Munday removed both openers in successive overs.

Essex's seam bowling quartet took full advantage of a Chelmsford wicket that had more pace than normal. With the ball also swinging, Tony Palladino was the pick of the bowlers as he recorded a season's best 4 for 44 before claiming the wicket of Andrew Strauss for the second time in the day - caught by Varun Chopra at slip - after Middlesex were forced to follow on 194 runs behind.

Graham Wagg's seventh first-class fifty lifted Derbyshire from an overnight 93 for 3 to 382 against Northamptonshire at Derby. The lower order weighed in with significant contributions; all of them reaching double figures.

Gloucestershire's second day against Glamorgan at Cardiff was entirely lost to rain.

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