HAMPSHIRE will return to Specsavers County Championship action in third place after a dramatic final day in the latest round of games.

Yorkshire replaced Hampshire at the top of division one after a thrilling three-run win against Somerset at Taunton.

But two hours later Yorkshire were leapfrogged by Essex, who defeated Surrey by eight wickets at Guildford.

Yorkshire veteran Ryan Sidebottom finished with match figures of 8-115 after Somerset, chasing 262, crashed from 231-6 to 258 all out.

Adam Hose (68), Somerset’s debutant from the Isle of Wight, and Steve Davies (59) hit half-centuries as the home side battled to record their first Championship win of the season.

But veteran left-armer Sidebottom’s guile and some ill-advised shots from the hosts’ lower order meant another day of frustration for Matthew Maynard’s team.

Yorkshire dropped to second after Tom Westley hit an unbeaten 102 as Essex chased down 253 to beat Surrey, who are now fifth.

He shared an unbroken 105 with Dan Lawrence (32no) after openers Alastair Cook (31) and Nick Browne (77) departed.

In the other division one game, Lancashire ended Middlesex’s 21-match unbeaten run by beating the champions by eight wickets at Southport, where slow left-armer Stephen Parry (5-45) and former Hampshire star Ryan Mclaren (3-48) starred.

Hampshire take on fourth-placed Lancashire on Monday ten points behind leaders Essex.