The Somerset dream of retaining the Cheltenham and Gloucester trophy to salvage something from their disappointing season was ended when they were beaten by Yorkshire in the final at Lord's.

The Yorkshire victory was founded upon a five wicket haul from Matthew Hoggard and an unbeaten century from Man of the Match winner Matt Elliott.

After winning the toss the Somerset innings got off to a bright start with openers Marcus Trescothick and Peter Bowler putting on 41 in quicktime before the returning Trescothick was out for 27 the victim of a spectacular catch by Michael Vaughan.

Bowler was then joined by Jamie Cox, and together they gave Somerset a solid platform on which to build,adding 81 for the second wicket in 15.3 overs until Cox fell LBW to McGrath after making 34.

With the score on 122 Mike Burns, whose selection was in some doubt beforehand after he suffered a knee problem at Blackpool joined the veteran Bowler who two overs later reached his fifty.

With the score on 159 Hoggard changed to the Nursery End, and with his first ball tempted Bowler who gave a catch to wicket-keeper Richard Blakey. Bowler had batted for just over two hours and faced 89 balls for his 67 runs.

Burns(21) was next man out with the score on 171. Somerset's new England man Ian Blackwell was warmly applauded to the wicket, but on this occasion failed to deliver and was comprehensively bowled by Ryan Sidebottom.

With ten overs left and the score on 191 for 5, two of last years batting heroes Keith Parsons and Rob Turner came together at the wicket . The pair brought up the Somersret 200, but after pushing the score along Turner gave a simple catch to Craig White at short mid wicket and the Cidermen were 230 for 6.

The overs were running out and quick runs were needed so Richard Johnson was promoted ahead of his former Middlesex team mate Keith Dutch and was lucky to survive a run out. With Somerset still chasing runs, shortly afterwards Johnson swung hard at Hoggard and turned to see his stumps upended.

With Somerset on 233 for 7 Dutch joined Parsons and brought a real cheer from the Somerset fans with first the boundary for a while, and when Parsons brought up the 250 in the last over there was even more to cheer about. But the cheering was short lived when he was caught by Sidebottom at long on from the next ball for 41.

Dutch brought the innings to a close with a blistering cover drive to the boundary but the Somerset total of 256 for 8 seemed short of what was promised earlier on, with only eight boundaries in the last twenty overs, during which only 108 runs had been scored.

Dangerman Craig White got the Yorkshire reply off to a very positive start when he dispatched Andrew Caddick's second ball to the cover boundary, but his threat was short lived as in the third over he edged Johnson to wicket-keeper Turner, and Yorkshire were 19 for 1.

Three balls later the Somerset fans had even more to cheer about when Johnson struck again as he clean bowled Chris Silverwood.

Aussie Matt Elliott brought up the fifty and along with Matt Wood looked well set. However with the score on 64 Wood chopped a slower ball from Johnson onto his stumps and once again the Cider fans and something to cheer about.

The demise of Wood brought England batsman Michael Vaughan to the wicket, and the longer he stayed with Elliott, the Yorkshire cause appeared to gather momentum. A classic off drive from Elliott brought up the hundred, and Somerset were in desperate need of a wicket. The Aussie moved past his half century in the twenty fourth over to put further pressure on Somerset.

By the halfway stage of their innings the White Rose county had scored 116 for 3, and seemed to be cruising, that was until Steffan Jones returned at the Pavilion End.With the second ball of his second over the Welshman trapped Vaughan LBW after he had put on 93 in twenty overs, but his departure on 157 had brought Somerset back into the game.

Elliott had other ideas and gradually moved his side towards their target, bringing up his century in the 44th over, having faced 110 balls.

Elliott remained at the wicket until the end and hit the winning runs to see his side home to a six wicket victory with 12 balls to spare and remained unbeaten on 128.

Whilst the Yorkshire players were celebrating with their trophy the Somerset players sat on the grass looking disappointed and thinking about what might have been, as were their fans who started to drift away for the long return journey home.

At the end of the match Jamie Cox said: "Of course we are bitterly disappointed because today was the basket that we put all of our eggs in and we lost.Now we really have to have a good three weeks and move heaven and earth to try to survive in the county championship which is hugely important to us."

He continued: "This competition has been a great run for us during my time at the club. We are going places and I want to be part of it so will be back next season. I always said that I wanted to be here five years, and I have one more year to go."

© SOMERSET