It took until the second over after tea before a double strike by Matthew Hoggard snuffed out Somerset's surprisingly stiff resistance and brought Yorkshire victory by an innings and 44 runs in their first home Championship game of the season.

Despite taking slightly longer than expected, the win was still an outstanding one for Yorkshire who gathered a maximum 22 points from a match which lost the whole of the the first day to the weather.

It was Yorkshire's first home triumph in exactly a year and it has left captain Craig White and his team confident that they can go on and clinch promotion this time.

Somerset were struggling on 109 for four at the start of the final day, still 210 runs behind.

They were also without acting captain, Marcus Trescothick, who had returned to Taunton to be at the birth of his baby daughter, Ellie, who arrived early on Saturday morning.

But Yorkshire found opener, John Francis, in defiant mood and when Somerset's last wicket fell the left-hander was still there on 125 from 286 balls with 15 crisply struck boundaries.

Francis became the first Somerset batsman to carry his bat since Peter Roebuck performed the feat against Middlesex at Taunton in 1991.

Aaron Laraman gave Francis further solid support for the first hour's play and the fifth wicket pair had added 130 when Laraman swept at Richard Dawson and was caught at short leg by Michael Lumb for 53 from 131 deliveries with seven boundaries.

Acting captain, Rob Turner, Richard Johnson and Andy Caddick all rallied round Francis and at tea Yorkshire were beginning to wonder whether Somerset may cling on in the final session.

But such thoughts were quickly dispelled by Hoggard who had Caddick caught by Phil Jaques at first slip and with his next ball had last man, Nixon McLean, edging to Matthew Wood at second slip.

Director of cricket, David Byas, said: "I was delighted with the result and thought we showed patience and discipline over the three days. We said in the morning that there was still a job to be done because Headingley's pitches have improved a lot and I thought that Francis played very well.

"Somerset allowed us to dictate a bit in their first innings but in the second they batted with more determination and I thought Craig White used his options cleverly.

"I was very pleased for Ian Harvey that he should score a double century in front of the home fans and he told me he considered that this was one of his best all-round performances.

"Ian has found an appetite for the game that was perhaps missing last season and he has played a big part in each of our matches so far."

* Sussex and Hampshire drew an exciting contest at Hove although Kevin Pietersen came close to winning it for the visitors.

Having been dismissed for a second-ball duck in the first innings on his Championship debut for his new county, the 24-year-old came to the crease at 130 for five on Saturday with 155 runs still needed for victory.

The first ten runs of England's newest batting star were all singles but he then warmed to his task by smashing leg spinner Mushtaq Ahmed onto the top tier of the Hove pavilion for six.

Pietersen continued to take the eye and a four through square-leg off Mushtaq brought up his 50 - and he celebrated by hitting the next two deliveries for six and four.

Mushtaq then had his revenge. Pietersen latched onto a ball tossed wide of the leg stump but planted it into Murray Goodwin's hands at deep square-leg.

Hampshire finished on 267 for eight, the draw ensured both sides remained undefeated this season.