Warwickshire 365 ( Hain 103*, Trott 87, C Overton 6-74) and 74 for 3 beat Somerset 265 (C Overton 51, Patel 5-89) and 170 (Abell 88*, Clarke 4-43, Patel 4-47) by seven wickets
Scorecard
Warwickshire eased to a seven-wicket victory over Somerset before lunch on the final day of their LV= County Championship match at Edgbaston.
Resuming on the last morning on six without loss, requiring 71 to win, the home side encountered a squall or two, losing captain Varun Chopra in the first over and further wickets at 35 and 36, but then advanced to the target with 73 overs to spare.
The result completed back-to-back victories for Warwickshire - an impressive response to their heavy defeat to runaway leaders Yorkshire two weeks ago. Only the most spectacular collapse can prevent Yorkshire retaining their title but the Bears are now in the thick of the race for runners-up spot.
For Somerset, meanwhile, alarm-bells are ringing after a defeat which leaves them precariously poised above the Division One relegation zone.
This game arrived for them on the back of a heavy playing and travelling schedule. They started the first day last Saturday having only reached Birmingham earlier that morning after a NatWestT20 Blast match in London the previous night.
But that schedule affords Marcus Trescothick's side only partial mitigation. Tom Abell's skilful resistance apart, their second innings batting collapse showed a lack of resolve and a surfeit of careless shots which does not augur well for the key weeks ahead.
Requiring another 65 on the final day, with the weather set fair, Warwickshire took an unhurried approach. Chopra's lean streak continued when he edged Alfonso Thomas to Jim Allenby at first slip but the Bears had all the time in the world - and they took it, Laurie Evans taking 25 balls to acquire a run as the total inched to 11 from the first ten overs.
Somerset kept plugging away and took wickets in successive overs when Ian Westwood edged Jim Allenby into the slips and Jonathan Trott chipped Craig Overton to mid-wicket and departed for a duck.
That was 36 for 3 and Warwickshire's wobble only served to heighten Somerset's regret at their poor batting the previous day - another 60 runs might have made for a very interesting finish.
As it was, Laurie Evans saw his side home with an unbeaten 36, an 84-ball innings which was the epitome of scratchy but did the job.
