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Archie Vaughan, the 18-year-old son of former England captain Michael, took six for 106 to surprise Surrey as they chase their third successive league title and boost Somerset’s hopes of securing their first.
Vaughan partnered England left-handed spinner Jack Leach to take all 10 Surrey wickets – and looked no less menacing by comparison on a pitch that turned but not excessively, as the champions took a four-run first-innings lead.
Young Vaughan begins his run by lifting his heels and strutting towards the bowling crease, much like his father, but he has a more compact action – right arm tight to the body at the start of the delivery stride – and puts more bite into his off-breaks. He had taken three wickets in his only previous Championship match; the father, definitely a batsman who bowled, never took more than four wickets in an innings.
The highlight of the Leach-Vaughan partnership was the dismissal of Shakib al-Hasan, the star Bangladesh all-rounder whom Surrey brought in for this one game – in the reasonable hope that if they did not lose this game they would retain their title again, such was their points lead.
Vaughan, in his first over against one of the world’s best batsmen against spin, was clipped for four and swept for a single but also beat Shakib with two consecutive off-breaks that went past the left-hander’s outside edge and caught him out.
Then Shakib, in his one and only game for Surrey, ran down the field and returned the ball for Leach to catch.
As Surrey retreated from their overnight 169 for three, Leach and Vaughan briefly used an old ball before taking the second, which bounced and spun quicker.
Vaughan, who had taken all three wickets overnight, dismissed Ben Foakes, who spent many hours defending unfazed against the spin in Asia. From the wicket, Vaughan caught him at short leg as he pushed forward.
In Surrey’s 95th over, Vaughan took two wickets without controversy: Jordan Clark bowled a catch towards diving mid-wicket and then, again from the wicket, Vaughan flicked a ball straight past a hesitant Cameron Steel to hit the off stump. Both are former Millfield boys, Steel from an older generation.
Tom Curran made some bold attacking shots against Vaughan, who was operating from the old pavilion. This led to an extraordinary decision: Vaughan was replaced by part-time left-handed spinner Lewis Goldsworthy, and Curran hit him for three sixes in his only over.
Curran, in his first league match for two years, took advantage of the opportunity to accelerate to 86 from just 74 balls before being caught at long-on by Leach as he attempted his ninth six.
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