Cricket / Round-Up: Essex's victory is Childs play

JOHN CHILDS bowled Essex back into the Championship race as Glamorgan lost their last five wickets for eight runs in 50 balls. Thus another unlikely Essex victory was gained by 18 runs.

Robert Croft and Colin Metson took Glamorgan to within 27 runs of their 208 target but when Ronnie Irani was introduced, purely to allow Childs and Peter Such change ends, he dismissed Metson lbw. Croft was out to Childs in the next over and on 188, David Hemp also fell to Childs and Roland Lefebvre was trapped lbw by Such. Childs' fifth wicket came when Nick Knight caught Steve Barwick. Glamorgan are now bottom of the table.

A career-best 144 by Jimmy Adams, during which he shared a Nottinghamshire record stand of 170 for the ninth wicket with Kevin Evans, was not enough to stave off defeat. Somerset won by 111 runs with 75 minutes to spare and were indebted to Andy Caddick's persistence in bowling 35 overs despite being in obvious discomfort from sore shins.

The pair batted through the afternoon session to beat a record that had stood since 1869. Evans' share was 77 before his two and three-quarter hour vigil was ended by a Marcus Trescothick slip catch off Caddick. As Adams tried to farm the strike, Harvey Trump ran out Andy Pick with a direct hit to win the game.

Two wickets in the first half-hour propelled Worcestershire to a 140-run win over Kent. Phil Newport and Richard Illingworth both took four wickets.