Openers Marcus Trescothick and Jamie Cox carried table-toppers Somerset Sabres to a nine-wicket victory over Kent Spitfires in the National League Division One clash at Taunton today.

England hopeful Trescothick, who made an unbeaten 92, and Tasmanian Cox (62) put on 145 for the first wicket and made a mockery of Kent's struggle to 179 for nine.

Effective pace bowling from Andrew Caddick in a miserly spell of two for 15 in nine overs and Steffan Jones (three for 39) put Kent in trouble.

Visiting captain Matthew Fleming (63) inspired a mini-fightback to rescue his team from 112 for eight - but it was soon clear it was not going to be enough and Somerset sauntered home with almost 10 overs to spare.

Three-wicket hauls for pacemen Glenn McGrath and Kabir Ali helped Worcestershire Royals keep the pressure on Somerset at the top thanks to a 12-run win over Lancashire at Old Trafford.

NORWICH UNION NATIONAL LEAGUE

Division One, Old Trafford: v Worcestershire Royals 216-7 (Solnaki 59no) (4pts) beat Lancashire Lightning 204 (Cramley 64) (0pts) by 12 runs.

Taunton: Somerset Sabres 180-1 (4pts) beat Kent Spitfires 179-9 (0pts) by 9 wkts.

Horsham: Sussex Sharks 219 (4pts) beat Leicestershire Foxes 208 (0pts) by 11 runs.

Division Two, Derby: Surrey Lions 198-7 (4pts) beat Derbyshire Scorpions 197-98 (0pts) by 3 wkts

Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire Outlaws 136-2 (4pts) beat Hampshire Hawks 135 (0pts) by 8 wkts.

Division One

P W L T NR Pts

Somerset Sabres 4 4 0 0 0 16 Worcestershire Royals 5 4 1 0 0 16

Gloucester Gladiators 5 3 2 0 0 12 Leicestershire Foxes 5 2 1 2 0 12 Yorkshire Phoenix 4 2 2 0 0 8

Kent Spitfires 6 1 3 0 2 8 Sussex Sharks 6 1 3 1 1 8

N'thampton Steelbacks 5 1 4 0 0 4

Lancashire Lightning 4 0 2 1 1 4

Division Two

Nottingham Outlaws 6 5 1 0 0 20 Surrey Lions 6 4 0 0 2 20 Warwickshire Bears 4 4 0 0 0 16 Middlesex Crusaders 5 2 1 1 1 12 Glamorgan Dragons 5 2 2 1 0 10 Essex Eagles 4 1 2 0 0 6 Durham Dynamos 5 1 4 0 0 4

Derbyshire Scorpions 4 0 4 0 0 0

Hampshire Hawks 5 0 5 0 0 0