Worcestershire Seconds ended a successful season in style when they defeated Somerset by 263 runs with a day to spare in a Second Eleven Championship fixture at Taunton Vale.
Trialist Matthew Burton bowled superbly to register a match return of 31.1-7-102-11 and opener Rehaan Edavalath hit his highest Seconds score of 169 not out in an innings spanning more than six hours.
But there were many other important contributions including a record-breaking effort with the bat by Ben Gibbon, Jack Haynes, Olly Cox, Henry Cullen and Josh Baker.
It enabled the Seconds to complete their sixth win in the last seven Championship games.
Worcestershire opted to bat and, despite 56 from Haynes, were 133-8 on the opening day before the game turned on its head thanks to a partnership of 112 for the ninth wicket between Cox and Gibbon.
Cox counter-attacked in hitting 85 off 73 balls with two sixes and 12 fours and Gibbon, who added a further 52 for the last wicket with Burton, struck 84 off 113 deliveries with one six and 12 fours.
It was the highest ever score by a Worcestershire number 10 in Seconds cricket.
Burton and Gibbon (13-6-22-2) then quickly made inroads with the ball in reducing Somerset to 37-5 and they were eventually dismissed for 100 in 42.1 overs with Baker (2-2-0-2) polishing off the tail.
Worcestershire batted throughout the second day and at the start of the third in totalling 404-7 declared after being 20-3 at one stage.
Edavalath and Cullen (80 off 139 balls with 13 fours) added 165 for the fourth wicket.
Baker (54) continued the good form he had demonstrated with the bat in last week’s win over Nottinghamshire in adding 141 for the fifth wicket with Edavalath.
When the declaration came, Edavalath had struck one six and 24 fours in an innings spanning 256 balls and 370 minutes.
Somerset were set a mammoth 602 target and Burton quickly dismissed Lewis Goldsworthy and Tom Banton.
Baker (25-9-58-2) picked up two wickets in the space of three overs before Burton returned to seal victory with support from Taylor Cornall (9-1-36-2).
The home side were eventually dismissed for 338 in 83 overs. You can see the full scorecard here.
