County Championship: James Rew hits century as Somerset thrash Nottinghamshire

James Rew has hit four Championship centuries this season at the age of only 19

James Rew scored his fourth County Championship century of the season to help Somerset complete a 399-run rout of Nottinghamshire inside three days at Taunton.

The 19-year-old wicketkeeper hit a career-best 123 not out as his side racked up 514-8 declared in their second innings to set their opponents an unlikely victory target of 492.

George Bartlett, unbeaten on 109 overnight, fell for 134, just three short of his career-best score, while Kasey Aldridge weighed in with 50.

Lyndon James had the best bowling figures for Nottinghamshire with 2-64 from 18 overs.

The visitors then slumped to 92 all out in their second innings, Josh Davey taking 4-17, to suffer the heaviest Championship defeat by a margin of runs in their history.

Somerset began the day on 268-4, knowing that the second new ball was just an over away. However, any hopes Nottinghamshire had of using it to re-establish their first-day advantage soon disappeared.

Bartlett and Rew, who set out on 17, batted confidently through the opening hour, taking few risks and eliminating the errors that had cost Somerset dear in their first innings.

They had taken their fifth-wicket stand to 89 and the total to 320 when Bartlett, who had begun his innings with his team 43-2, was bowled by Dane Paterson, having faced 265 balls and hit 14 fours and a six.

Rew has demonstrated a passion for batting long in red-ball cricket since first breaking into Somerset's side last season and the young left-hander reached a typically composed half-century off 105 deliveries and played through the morning session without alarm.

By lunch he had moved to 60 and the lead was 342. Aldridge was on 17 and the afternoon session saw the pair build another substantial stand.

Rew unleashed sixes over long-on and mid-wicket off Matt Carter, whose off-spin posed as little threat as the seamers on what looked a very flat pitch.

Aldridge took the lead past 400 with a cover-driven boundary off Brett Hutton before Rew brought up the fifth first-class hundred of his short career off 172 balls, with 10 fours and two sixes.

Aldridge, who has grown in confidence with the bat this season, went to 50 off 88 balls, but was then bowled by James, having hit five fours. By then Somerset had posted 447-6 and their lead had grown to 424.

It was just a case of when skipper Tom Abell would choose to declare. By the time he did, Craig Overton and Matt Henry had warmed up for their bowling duties with some lusty blows, Henry clearing the ropes twice, while the ever-vigilant Rew had extended his rock-solid innings to span 216 balls.

Tea was taken before Nottinghamshire began their mammoth task and it became even more so when Haseeb Hammed was run out without scoring, sent back attempting a single to backward point and undone by Bartlett's direct hit.

It was 2-2 when Henry, bowling around the wicket, jagged one into left-hander Ben Slater's pads to pin him lbw and 10-3 when Matthew Montgomery edged a defensive shot off Overton to Aldridge at second slip.

Visiting captain Steven Mullaney found himself walking to the crease at 14-4 after Joe Clarke had been snapped up at second slip by Overton to give Henry his eighth wicket of the match.

The extra pace of Somerset's opening bowlers was making the pitch look very different and when Josh Davey replaced Overton, his first over saw James edge a drive to Tom Lammonby at third slip.

Henry, whose bowling on the second morning had changed the course of the game, took a rest having taken 2-19 from eight overs and his replacement, Aldridge, soon had Mullaney caught behind for 23.

Hutton sportingly walked when inside-edging Davey to wicketkeeper Rew, who claimed another victim when Tom Moores, on 24, nicked a ball from Aldridge.

Davey then cleaned up Jake Ball and Paterson to spark joyous celebrations among the home supporters.

Somerset's largest runs victories

• 568 runs v Cardiff MCCU, Taunton 2019

• 419 runs v Kent, Bath 1937

• 404 runs v Oxford Universities, Taunton 2000

• 399 runs v Nottinghamshire, Taunton 2023

• 379 runs v Warwickshire, Taunton 1929

Report supplied by the ECB Reporters' Network.