Stand-in Yorkshire captain Jacques Rudolph has defended the total he set Somerset after seeing his team lose for the first time in 2010.

The Tykes ended up going down by six wickets at Taunton after their opponents secured a second dramatic run chase against Yorkshire in ten months to once more take the spoils in an LV= County Championship clash at Taunton.

It means after nine games the Tykes have finally lost their unbeaten start to the season, and the manner of the defeat was just as frustrating as the one which they suffered at the County Ground last July.

Then their hosts chased down 476 to win, whereas this time Rudolph asked them to chase down 362 on a ground which statistically is the most batsman-friendly in the country.

“It is obviously very disappointing but I am still behind my decision,” admitted Rudolph, who only skippered the side as Andrew Gale was on England Lions duty.

James Hildreth did the damage as the Tykes attack, without Tino Best, who hobbled off with an injury to his right quad that could see him miss next week’s Championship match at Hampshire, were dispatched to all parts of the ground.

His innings of 102 not out came off just 70 balls as he recorded the quickest first-class century of the season so far and turned a close contest into a one-sided finish.

Ably assisted by Zander de Bruyn, who powered to an entertaining 93, the two of them put on 149 for the fourth wicket to help Somerset home with 5.2 overs to spare.

The absorbing end in the west country could not have been more different to the farcical beginning to day four.

With a draw seeming the most likely result, both sides settled on a declaration total and to aide the game Somerset threw the ball to Hildreth and Nick Compton, who had bowled just eight balls in five Championship matches for the county in 2010.

That saw Yorkshire add 179 runs in only 26.7 overs to set Marcus Trescothick’s side the target of 362, which needed to be reached in 71 overs at a run rate of more than five an over.

Despite losing three wickets, they were always in command with Hildreth and de Bruyn at the crease.

When these two sides next meet at Taunton, whenever that might be, it will take a brave Tykes captain to ever set them a total again.