71 at close, with Essex on 224 for 3, 34 runs ahead. Bopara could not add to his overnight total on the third day, as he was caught off Richard Johnson's bowling. But Essex were able to take control, finally declaring on 427 for 8 when Tudor was run out for 57. Somerset's fast bowlers, Johnson and Andrew Caddick had picked up three wickets each, but had not been able to stop the flow of runs. Foster was not out on 78 when the declaration came. In reply, Somerset fared okay till Trescothick went with the score on 57, and then, at 65 for 1, Andre Adams, Essex's New Zealand import took a hat-trick. Mike Burns edged an outswinger, and Sanath Jayasuriya and James Hildreth were both leg before. With Adams picking up one more wicket before the close of play, Somerset finished on 128 for 5, still 109 runs off making Essex bat again. On the Saturday, Somerset's tail was quickly reduced to 180 for 8. There was then something of a rearguard action with 63 put on by Caddick and Robert Turner for the ninth wicket, and Turner and Nixon McLean putting on 70 for the tenth. This left Essex with a target of 77 to win, which they did easily with the loss of just one wicket. (BBC scorecard) May May began with wins over Devon (in the C&G Trophy) and Leicestershire in the Championship, before they played out a draw against Northamptonshire despite trailing by 374 runs on first innings, as they batted out the remainder of the match to make 495 for 6. Following that, a League game against Glamorgan was won by five wickets. On 17 May they were eliminated from the C&G Trophy at the second round stage at Old Trafford. Two Championship matches followed, a defeat against Worcestershire which saw them go out of the promotion zone and a draw with Yorkshire, which left them third in the table behind Durham and Yorkshire at the end of May, though with Worcestershire trailing four points behind with a game in hand. C&G Trophy Round One: Devon v Essex (3–4 May) Essex beat Devon by 180 runs to progress to Round Two of the C&G Trophy No play was possible on the originally scheduled day of play at Exmouth because of rain, and the reserve day had to be used. When play started on