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Essex 295 for 2 (Walter 158, Elgar 111*) trail Somerset 433 (Goldsworthy 100, Overton 60, Porter 3-66, Bennett 3-73) by 138 runsPaul Walter exerted total mastery over Somerset’s flagging bowlers as his highest first-class score of 158 eased Essex closer to safety in Division One of the Rothesay County Championship.The left-hander was barely troubled as he combined perfect timing with seeing everything clearly and early while spraying the ball around Chelmsford with an air of supreme confidence. For much of his 167-ball innings he outscored his opening partner, the former South Africa captain Dean Elgar, two to one as the first-wicket pair compiled a stand of 277 in 61 overs. At the close Essex were 295 for 2.Elgar, too, reached a second century of the season but was content to play second fiddle while Walter pulled, drove and flicked with nonchalant ease 21 fours and three sixes. Elgar contributed 16 fours and a six in his unbeaten 212-ball 111.Somerset’s first-innings 433 had looked formidable until Essex made mincemeat of it in an emphatic response. That Somerset had achieved as many as they did was latterly down to Lewis Goldsworthy’s four-hour and 21-minute century that took 193 balls. He was last man out, a third wicket on debut for seamer Charlie Bennett, who finished with 3 for 73.When it was their turn, Somerset struggled to get any response out of a docile pitch and had tried seven bowlers to no avail by the 29th over. They spent two sessions literally chasing shadows on a sunny autumn day.Essex survived two overs before lunch and immediately afterwards Elgar punched back-to-back drives past mid-off for fours off Craig Overton. It set the tone for the rest of the day as they rattled along at above four-and-a-half runs an over.Walter was the most aggressive from the start, at one point lofting Archie Vaughan straight down the ground for four and cutting Lewis Gregory for another to reach a 54-ball fifty. An off-drive for his 13th boundary took Essex to three-figures in only 21 overs.Walter motored along at more than double the rate of his fellow left-hander. His dominance was summed up when he launched Jack Leach for six over long-off and next ball rocked on to his back foot to drive the spinner through the covers for four.When Walter reached his century from exactly 100 balls just before tea, having plundered 16 fours, Elgar was stuck on 49 from 10 balls more. It took Elgar a further dozen balls after tea to reach his fifty, courtesy of an angled shot backward of square off Kasey Aldridge and celebrated by lofting Vaughan straight back over the bowler’s head for six. Walter could not resist following suit and bounced down the wicket in the same over for another maximum.Walter’s third six, pulling Leach over square leg, took him past his previous highest score. His 150 took 154 balls, while Elgar’s 54th first-class century was reached in 184 balls.Walter eventually departed seven overs from stumps to a stupendous tumbling catch at midwicket by Goldsworthy off Overton, who also accounted for nightwatchman Simon Harmer before the close.To emphasis the unresponsiveness of the hybrid wicket, it took Essex an hour and three-quarters to winkle out the last four Somerset wickets while conceding a further 94 runs. Overton recorded a second successive fifty, and a third of the season, from the 54th ball he faced. But he fell to a ball in Harmer’s first over of the day that spun past his outstretched leg and bowled him between bat and pad after a partnership with Goldsworthy worth 98 in 20 overs.Another bowling change prefaced another wicket when Leach nibbled at one from Bennett to provide substitute wicketkeeper Simon Fernandes with a fourth catch. Gregory swept Harmer for six during a brief appearance but attempted a repeat next ball and top-edged to short fine leg.Goldsworthy made it to three-figures just in time, pushing a quick single off Harmer, but departed two balls later when he swung Bennett to deep square leg.

Tim David produced a brutal display of hitting with Australia’s fastest T20I century from 37 balls as the visitors surged to a series-winning victory by chasing 215 with a massive 23 deliveries to spare on a boundary-filled night in St Kitts.Shai Hope’s maiden T20I century, in which he formed an opening stand of 125 with Brandon King, helped West Indies post 214 for 4 and when Australia wobbled on 87 for 4 in the ninth over, the target was a considerable distance off.However, David produced a breathtaking performance which rewrote the record books with firstly Australia’s fastest fifty from 16 deliveries, and then the century mark with the boundary that also brought victory. In all he plundered 11 sixes in his maiden T20 century.Mitchell Owen, in his first international series, played his part with 36 off 16 balls in a fifth-wicket stand of 128 from just 46 balls.

David’s masterclass

This was only the eighth time in his 42 T20I innings for Australia that David had batted higher than No. 6 when he walked out following a scratchy innings from captain Mitchell Marsh. He was 15 off seven balls when he faced up to Gudakesh Motie in the 10th over and collected four consecutive sixes.In the next over from Akeal Hosein he added two more, with a boundary between them taking him to fifty off 16 balls. Such was his focus and confidence of match-ups, that he turned down a single in Roston Chase’s only over so he could retain the strike against the offspinner and proceeded to take three further sixes as the chase quickly came down towards a run-a-ball. Numerous times the umpires needed to call for the replacement box of balls with a few souvenirs now lying outside Warner Park for anyone who wanted to have a look.0:17

Watch – Shai Hope records first T20I century

The game was probably gone from West Indies, but they gave David a life on 90 when King dropped a sitter at deep midwicket. After that, the only slight danger to the century record was whether Owen would finish the game first. But despite Owen being handed a six when Rovman Powell stepped on the rope taking a catch at long-on, David wasn’t denied and comfortably eclipsed the previous record of 43 balls set by Josh Inglis against Scotland last year.

Shai gives hope

West Indies’ captain put together a top-class innings to dominate the home side’s display, becoming just the second West Indian after Chris Gayle to have centuries across all formats. He was a little sluggish initially and was 5 off seven balls before finding his first boundary but from there was in control throughout. He hit his stride by taking advantage of Glenn Maxwell’s powerplay over with a four and consecutive sixes, and then put Owen out of the ground – the first, but not last instance of that for the night.Hope’s fifty came from 26 balls – with King’s following off 30 deliveries – and he then motored towards three figures including consecutive sixes off Adam Zampa. However, it took him eight balls to go from 92 to his century, reaching from 55 deliveries, as Australia again bowled well in the closing overs.

Abbott stands out

As well as West Indies started, there was always a question of how many would be enough on the postage stamp ground where mis-hits would sail for six. After the opening stand of 125 was broken they also struggled to really put their foot down in the latter stages of the innings with overs 15 to 18 providing 36 runs. Sherfane Rutherford produced an especially momentum-sapping 12 off 13 balls.In a game where the ball was regularly flying over the rope, Sean Abbott’s figures stood out like a beacon. Having been recalled in place of Matt Kuhnemann, he finished with 4-0-21-0 including 14 dot balls. He bowled two inside the powerplay for 11, a third in the midst of the King-Hope stand which cost just three in the ninth over then his last in the 17th.As so often, Nathan Ellis also played his part by conceding just six off the 18th over as Hope and Rutherford became stuck in the closing overs. Australia were not blemish-free in the field, particularly around the boundary, but David’s display meant it barely mattered.