Somerset's First Division fate was sealed at Grace Road today when they were convincingly beaten by Leicestershire with two days to spare in their county championship match.

Next year they will be playing in the Second Division, from where they will be looking to bounce back to the top flight as quickly as they can.

Resuming on 207 for 5 the hosts took their score onto 310 before they were all out, with Richard Johnson, Matt Bulbeck and Pete Trego ending with three wickets each.

Facing a deficit of 119 the Cidermen's second innings got of to disastrous start, losing Jamie Cox with the score on 7 and Matt Wood 3 runs later.

Worst was to follow as Indian paceman Javagal Srinath ripped the heart out of the top order batsman claiming five out of the first seven wickets to fall as the visitors collapsed to 42 for 7.

Keith Dutch(not out 14) offered some late resistance and put on 25 for the eighth wicket with Bulbeck (18) however when Simon Francis was LBW to Darren Maddy after scoring 17, Somerset were all out for 101 and Leicestershire had won by an innings and 18 runs.

At the end of the day Kevin Shine told me: "We are as disappointed as you can be in this situation because it is the end of three years of first division championship cricket for us and we don't like it."

He continued: "Today the momentum just went against us and we capitulated quite quickly. The boys are as down as I have ever seen them because after three years in the top flight they are a better side now than they ever have been and we have let ourselves down."

© SOMERSET