Yorkshire suffered their first defeat in 2010 after being beaten by six wickets against Somerset at Taunton. For the second time in as many LV=County Championship games in the west country, their opponents chased down a huge second-innings total to win.

Last season it was a Championship record of 476, whereas this year stand-in captain Jacques Rudolph asked them to get 372 when he declared eight overs before lunch.

Unfortunately, lightning did strike twice for the Tykes at the County Ground and a brilliant century from James Hildreth helped them home with 5.2 overs to spare. His unbeaten knock of 102, from just 70 balls, contained ten fours and a six and along with Zander de Bruyn, who made 93, they helped Somerset win to end Yorkshire’s unbeaten start which was up to nine games.

The two of them came together with Marcus Trecothick’s side on 165 for 3, after two wickets for Adil Rashid and one from Steven Patterson had given the Tykes hope of forcing another victory. By the time they had left those ambitions were in taters as the score had moved on to 314 for four and Somerset suddenly only needed 48 from 10.4 overs.

That was achieved easily with Jos Buttler hitting an entertaining 31 from just 17 balls as the hosts picked up 21 points to Yorkshire’s six.

The thrilling end at Taunton was very different to the start of day 4 after both sides had reached an agreement on what score Yorkshire would set Somerset for victory. It meant that the hosts used Hildreth and Nick Compton as bowlers to speed up the Tykes scoring, before Rudolph eventually declared with a lead of 361.

Unfortunately it was a total that Somerset convincingly achieved and so for a second year in a row the Tykes will make the long trip North after a defeat.

They will need to regroup quickly though, with another journey South on Sunday, ahead of day one of their Championship fixture with Hampshire on Monday.

DAY THREE REPORT

Yorkshire will go into the final day at Taunton with a second-innings lead of 182 after an excellent day with both bat and ball in their LV=County Championship match with Somerset.

First it was the Tykes attack who excelled to take six wickets for the loss of just 155 runs, before Adam Lyth continued his remarkable run of form with the bat to really put stand-in captain Jacques Rudolph’s side in command.

It was David Wainwright who started the ball rolling - first ousting Arul Suppiah for a heart-breaking 99 and then forcing Jos Buttler to misjudge a pull to Lyth at mid-on for 52 to reduce Somerset to 296-6. 

Then his fellow spinner Adil Rashid replicated the feat to dismiss Ben Phillips for 16 and Alfonso Thomas for 14 to really turn the screw as the hosts struggled amid gloomy conditions at the County Ground.

At that stage they were 350-8, still 55 runs behind the Tykes first-innings total of 405, and their late order resistance didn’t last long either with Oliver Hannon-Dalby removing Peter Trego and then Wainwright completing the collapse when he bowled Charl Willoughby for 10.

It meant Yorkshire had a narrow first-innings lead of 28 and then Lyth produced more heroics with the bat to really put the Tykes in control.

Despite Joe Sayers departing early for 12 to Alfonso Thomas, the 22 year-old from Whitby built on his career-best 142 from the first innings to reach 92 - eventually falling to the last ball of the day by Murali Kartik.

It was the left-handers sixth half-century of the season so far and helped the Tykes to 154-2 at the close. 

Anthony McGrath was the other man out in the middle and he will resume tomorrow’s final day on 38. Rudolph will join him at the crease and all eyes will be on the South African’s tactics to see when he might decide on a declaration.

One factor that Rudolph is unlikely to have forgotten is that last year the Tykes were in a similar position here at Taunton. Then Somerset chased down 476 to win.

DAY TWO REPORT

Yorkshire suffered a mini-batting collapse on day two against Somerset to make sure it is honours even at the mid-way point of their LV=County Championship clash at Taunton.

Resuming on 296-4, the Tykes were bowled out for 405 in their first-innings on another gloriously sunny day in the West Country.

The theme of day two began early for the Tykes when, just 14 balls into the first session, Anthony McGrath was caught by Peter Trego at gully off Ben Phillips to leave the crease without adding to his overnight score of 73.

Steven Patterson, with an entertaining 25 as the nightwatchman, Adil Rashid, who made one, and Jonathan Bairstow who played a poor shot to lose his wicket for 17, then all came and went quickly to leave Yorkshire on 343-8.

Fortunately, David Wainwright then made a gutsy 39 to put on 62 runs for the final two wickets with Tino Best and Oliver Hannon-Dalby, but the total of 405 was disappointing bearing in mind they had been 280 for two at one stage near the close on day one.

Then it was the Tykes bowlers turn to try and restore the initiative.

However aside from Steven Patterson, who produced a good spell early on, and Adil Rashid, who picked up two late wickets, their attack lacked potency on a pitch which offers plenty for any batsmen who is patient and picks the right balls to score from.

Marcus Trescothick proved that within the first over, when he dispatched Tino Best for four boundaries during a rapid start for Somerset, but he was trapped lbw for 39 by Oliver Hannon-Dalby and when Nick Compton was ousted by Steven Patterson for just 10 the hosts were on 60 for two.

That brought Arul Suppiah and Zander de Bruyn together though, and the two of them put on 100 for the third wicket to move the score on to 160.

Rashid then removed de Bruyn, for 47, and James Hildreth, who had made 31, to give the Tykes a late boost.

Somerset will resume on 226 for four on day three, still trailing Yorkshire by 179 runs with Suppiah unbeaten on 78 and Joe Buttler on 13

DAY ONE REPORT

A career-best 142 from Yorkshire opener Adam Lyth has put the Tykes in control after day one of their LV=County Championship clash with Somerset at Taunton.

The 22 year-old plundered 15 boundaries during a five and a half hour stay at the crease, to record just his second ever first-class century on a gloriously sunny spring day in the West Country.

His knock surpassed the 132 he got against Nottinghamshire in 2008 and helped Yorkshire reach 296-4 by the close.

Once more his opening partnership with Joe Sayers deserves a special mention. After winning the toss and electing to bat under stand-in captain Jacques Rudolph, deputising for Andrew Gale who is away with the England Lions, the two of them put on 115 for the first wicket to record their third century partnership in this, the sixth LV=Championship game of the season.

Even after Sayers was dismissed after lunch, edging to Murali Kartik at second slip off Ben Phillips for 50, the onslaught from the Tykes batsmen continued with the arrival of Anthony McGrath at the crease.

Against an increasingly deflated Somerset attack the two added a further 136 runs, before Lyth was caught by Phillips at mid-on off Zander de Bruyn to end his fabulous knock.

Rudolph then came and went quickly to only add 11 more runs to the total before Gary Ballance was ousted for 4 as Yorkshire suffered some late set backs.

McGrath will resume on day two on 73 though and he seems to hold the key to just how many the Tykes can get in their first-innings. Steven Patterson, in as a night watchman, is the other man at the crease on 1.

MATCH PREVIEW

Jacques Rudolph takes charge as Yorkshire head to Taunton with Andrew Gale missing on England Lions duty. Gary Ballance replaces Gale in the squad.Gerard Brophy has been extremely unfortunate after a great run of form to miss the chance to replace Gale as he has a hamstring strain.

YORKSHIRE CARNEGIE SQUAD

Joe Sayers, Adam Lyth, Anthony McGrath, Jacques Rudolph (Capt), Gary Ballance, Jonathan Bairstow, Adil Rashid, Richard Pyrah, Tino Best, Steve Patterson, Oliver Hannon-Dalby, David Wainwright and Alex Lilley.

SOMERSET SQUAD

Murali Kartik is set to make his Somerset debut against Yorkshire.

Marcus Trescothick (capt), Arul Suppiah, Nick Compton, James Hildreth, Zander du Bruyn, Joss Buttler (wk), Peter Trego, Alfonso Thomas, Murali Kartik, Ben Phillips, Charl Willoughby, Michael Munday and David Stiff.