YORKSHIRE swept aside Somerset by an innings and six runs at Scarborough yesterday to end a sequence of two defeats and a draw in their last three matches and firm up their position in the top three of the Championship table.

The victory would have been even more emphatic but for a furious assault by Somerset's last man Steffan Jones who plundered 56 off 50 balls while putting on 73 in 12 overs for the tenth wicket with Graham Rose.

It was the first time since the opening match of the season that Yorkshire have collected a maximum 20 points and their revival comes just in time to keep their title challenge alive because they still enjoy a game in hand over leaders Surrey.

The star of the show for Yorkshire was undoubtedly Matthew Hoggard who thoroughly deserved the presentation of his first-team cap on the opening day of the game.

He grabbed five for 50 as Somerset were bowled out for 212 and this gave him a career-best match analysis of eight for 97.

Hoggard made his mark in the first full over of the day by breaching Piran Holloway's defences to leave Somerset on 12 for three, still 206 runs away from making Yorkshire bat a second time.

He would have had another early success if either wicketkeeper Richard Blakey or first slip Anthony McGrath had made a move when Peter Bowler edged directly between them for a streaky boundary.

Keith Parsons dominated a fourth-wicket stand of 56 with Bowler in which he played some meaty shots, particularly on the legside, and the batsmen were just beginning to get on top when Hoggard returned, this time from the Trafalgar Square end.

His first ball was sliced by Bowler to backward point where Gary Fellows dived to hold a stunning catch and three balls later Michael Burns was smartly taken at third slip by Simon Widdup.

Parsons' run spree ended when he drove from the crease at Paul Hutchison but missed and was lbw for 38, nine fours being packed into his cameo innings, while Hoggard was unfortunate to see a sharp chance by Rob Turner to Widdup go down in the slips.

Ian Blackwell and Turner both fell to splendid catches at first slip by McGrath off Silverwood and Hoggard respectively and Yorkshire were on the very brink of victory when Peter Trego's off-stump was sent flying by Hutchison before he had scored.

But they had not reckoned on a final flourish from Jones who battered the bowling on his way to a maiden Championship half-century off 45 deliveries with nine fours.

Jones relished the introduction of Widdup for his first bowl in county cricket by slamming him for four boundaries in his first over but their was some consolation for the occasional off-spinner when Rose stepped in front of his stumps and was lbw for 20 to end the match.

CRICKET SCOREBOARD

PPP healthcare County Championship

Yorkshire v Somerset

at Scarborough

Somerset 1st innings: 182 (R J Turner 38)

Yorkshire 1st innings: 400 (Byas 84, D Lehmann 77; D Trego 4-84)

Somerset Second Innings

Holloway b Hoggard 1

Bowler c Fellows b Hoggard 15

Parsons lbw b Hutchison 38

Burns c Widdup b Hoggard 0

Turner c McGrath b Hoggard 20

Blackwell c McGrath b Silverwood 24

Rose lbw Widdup 20

Trego b Hutchison 0

Jones not out 56

Extras 27

Totalall out (70.3overs) 212

Fall: 1-8 2-12 3-12 4-68 5-68 6-74 7-121 8-138 9-139

Bowling: Hoggard 21-7-50-5, Silverwood 20-9-65-1, Hutchison 16-4-42-2, Lehmann 9-3-17-1, Fellows 2-1-3-0, Widdup 2.3-0-22-1

Umpires: M R Benson and T E Jesty

Yorkshire (20pts) bt Somerset (3pts) by an innings and 6 runs.