Archie Vaughan takes three wickets for Somerset as season decider continues

Archie Vaughan’s breakthrough summer with Somerset continued as he took the first three Surrey wickets to fall before rain intervened in the top-of-the-table clash at Taunton.

Vaughan, the 18-year-old son of Ashes-winning captain Michael, who was watching the match, made 44 runs opening the batting on the first day of the Championship match which sees Somerset attempting to reduce Surrey’s lead at the top of the Premier Division. The gap went into the match to 24 runs with three games remaining in what is increasingly looking like a two-horse race.

Vaughan followed that up with figures of three for 45 in 25 very crisp overs of off-spin, operating from the end named after his father’s former vice-captain Marcus Trescothick in tandem with Jack Leach.

He picked up the wickets of former Test openers Dom Sibley, caught sweeping mid-wicket, and Rory Burns, sweeping the left side (the Surrey captain had already been dropped by wicketkeeper James Rew against Vaughan). As Surrey fought back, Ben Geddes made a fifty, before being caught at short leg by Vaughan, who also played for England Under-19s this summer.

“Archie Vaughan has done a remarkable job since coming into the team,” said Somerset coach Jason Kerr. “I think his dad was here today which must have made his wickets even more special.

“He performed brilliantly with the bat in our innings against quality bowlers and today he also showed how talented he is with the ball.

“I’m not going to set any parameters [on whether he’s better at batting or bowling]Archie is an exceptional cricketer who has already shown maturity early in his career. He has no limits.

By the time bad light and rain brought the second day to a premature end, Surrey were 169 for three, having avoided the follow-on, with hopes of closing in on Somerset’s first-innings 317. Both teams will be fighting for every run with the season so close to its end.

Kent edge closer to relegation

Bad weather curtailed the Championship programme but Kent came closer to confirming their relegation by stumbling to 64 for five in reply to Hampshire’s 403. Also at the bottom of the table, Lancashire are struggling against Durham, for whom David Bedingham made his sixth century of the season, and Nottinghamshire are under pressure against Essex, who made 457.

In the race for promotion to Division Two, Yorkshire’s run for a meaningful win against Leicestershire was halted by rain. Yorkshire scored 379 in their first innings and reduced Leicestershire to 35 for two, still at 246, in their second innings. A win for Yorkshire would earn them 22 points as they battle it out against Middlesex, who are top against Gloucestershire.

Leaders Sussex enjoyed an excellent day against Glamorgan, building a big lead thanks to a fifth century of the season from their captain, John Simpson.