Michael Vaughan's Son Takes 11 Wickets As Somerset Revive Title Bid By Beating Champions Surrey

Michael Vaughan's Son Takes 11 Wickets As Somerset Revive Title Bid By Beating Champions Surrey (Image Source: Twitter)

The teenage son of former England captain Michael Vaughan finished with a superb match haul of 11 wickets as Somerset beat title-holders Surrey on Thursday to throw open the race for English cricket's County Championship.

Archie Vaughan, an 18-year-old off-spinner appearing in just his second Championship match, enjoyed a superb return of 5-38 in 32 overs as visitors Surrey, set a target of 221, were bowled out for 109 with just minutes to spare as Somerset won by 111 runs at Taunton.

That gave Vaughan, whose Ashes-winning captain father Michael made his reputation in cricket as a batsman with Yorkshire, a match return of 11-140 after he took 6-102 in Surrey's first-innings 321.

He also opened the batting, making 44 in the first innings.

On a pitch renowned for helping slow bowlers, the other five second-innings wickets fell to England left-arm spinner Jack Leach, who finished with an especially miserly 5-37 in 37 overs.

The match appeared destined for a draw with Surrey 95-3, but the reigning champions lost their last seven wickets for just 14 runs in a spectacular collapse that included Bangladesh star Shakib Al Hasan falling to Vaughan for a duck.

Victory left southwest side Somerset, who have never won the County Championship -- English cricket's domestic first-class competition -- just eight points behind First Division leaders Surrey, bidding for a hat-trick of titles, with two games left to play.