Teenage son of Ashes-winning captain takes 11 wickets to bowl Somerset to stunning last-gasp win over Surrey in county championship thriller
- Somerset secured a stunning victory over Surrey to move into the title race
- Archie Vaughan and Jack Leach were both stars in their spin that unlocked Surrey
- Somerset now trail Surrey by just eight points with two games remaining
Archie Vaughan and Jack Leach gave Somerset a sensational closing minute victory over reigning champions Surrey at Taunton to throw the title race wide open.
Vaughan, the 18-year-old son of Ashes-winning captain Michael, took five for 38 to finish with a match tally of 11 for 140 in only his second First Division appearance.
Leach – recently recalled for the Test tour of Pakistan – took five for 37, including the last two wickets in three balls with less than five minutes remaining.
The result leaves Somerset, who have never won the county championship, just eight points behind Surrey going into the last two games.
Rather than chasing a target of 221, Surrey had tried to block their way to a draw, with Dom Sibley and Ben Foakes surviving for nearly 30 overs as the final hour approached. But Leach removed them both in quick succession to make it 96 for five, and Vaughan worked his way through the lower middle order.
Somerset’s stunning win leaves them just eight points behind Surrey going into the last two games
Archie Vaughan – son of Michael Vaughan – starred as Somerset beat Surrey on Thursday
took five for 38 to finish with match figures of 11 for 140 in only his second appearance in the First Division
Leach then ended Surrey’s resistance on the ninth wicket by having Jordan Clark caught behind the ball before pinning last man Dan Worrall lbw to huge celebrations at the County Ground.
“What a start to a career Archie has had,” said Somerset head coach Jason Kerr. “He has shown incredible maturity and skill for someone so young and inexperienced as an off-spin bowler. We have also seen his class with the bat, which is very exciting.”
Elsewhere, Matthew Potts – who was ruled out for the third Test against Sri Lanka at The Oval – took nine for 68 as Durham defeated Lancashire.
Meanwhile, Liam Livingstone has vowed to fight his way back into England’s 50-over squad after almost being left alone in the first T20 defeat to Australia at Southampton on Wednesday night.
With the three-match series continuing in Cardiff on Friday, Livingstone has another chance to build on figures of three for 22 and an innings of 37 from 27 – rare moments of English success on an otherwise miserable evening.
He claims his body is in better condition than it has been in the past two and a half years, when he suffered from ankle and knee problems.
England spinner Jack Leach took key wickets in the top order in Somerset’s thrilling win
Meanwhile, Liam Livingstone has vowed to fight his way back into the England 50-over team
England’s selection committee lost patience after a disappointing 50-over World Cup, but Livingstone wants to change their minds.
“Unfortunately I won’t be playing in the ODIs against Australia but I’m definitely not giving up,” he said.
‘I’ve had a few difficult years. My body has let me down a bit and I wasn’t quite right physically.
‘If you take away the World Cup, I feel like I’ve influenced the games in the lower regions. But I’m 31 and I’m not going to cry because I wasn’t picked.’