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Brave Banton leads Somerset fightback
Tom Banton showed incredible bravery and Archie Vaughan claimed his maiden five-wicket haul for Somerset as the home side battled back after this Vitality County Championship title showdown had tilted in favour of Surrey on day three at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.
Banton finished unbeaten on 28 from as many deliveries despite batting at 11 and barely being able to stand, whilst Vaughan continued to impress after Tom Curran had looked like being the main difference between the two sides, smashing his way to a destructive 86 and ensuring that the visitors secured an, albeit slender, first innings lead.
How much Somerset will be forced to rue the ankle injury suffered by Banton during the warm up is yet to be seen, but he certainly showed his character in a gutsy and clearly painful performance during the evening session to get his side back in the game.
Resuming on 169 for three this morning, the defending champions had moved to 196 when Jack Leach enticed Ryan Patel into the sweep only for the Surrey batter to top edge the ball straight to Lewis Gregory.
196 for four soon became 228 for eight as a flurry of wickets appeared to have put Somerset into the ascendancy.
Leach accounted for Shakib Al Hasan courtesy of a sharp catch off his own bowling and then Ben Green, on as a replacement for Banton, took a catch at short leg off Vaughan to remove Ben Foakes for 37.
Vaughan then secured his first Championship five-for when a diving Tom Abell at mid wicket saw the demise of Jordan Clark. Not content with five, Vaughan then bowled Cameron Steel (0) and the Somerset faithful could smell blood.
However, Curran had other ideas. He set about the home attack and secured his 50 from 33 balls, reaching his half century in an over from Lewis Goldsworthy in which he plundered 16 runs.
He shared a ninth wicket stand of 54 with Kemar Roach, scoring 45 of those himself, and scored 34 of the 39 runs that were put on for the final wicket with Dan Worrall.
Curran was the final wicket to fall, caught on the boundary by Gregory off Leach, his 86 coming from 75 deliveries with six fours and eight sixes, and in the blink of an eye Surrey had secured a first innings lead of four runs.
Somerset began the reply after lunch but Vaughan (3) was bowled by Shakib Al Hasan, and when Goldsworthy was bowled by Roach for nine the home side were 12 for two.
Tom Abell was trapped lbw for 18 by Shakib Al Hasan at 37 for three and this brought Kasey Aldridge to the crease in place of the injured Banton who will have an MRI scan tomorrow, which will leave Somerset Members and supporters holding their breath ahead of Saturday’s Vitality Blast Finals Day.
Aldridge was bowled by an inswinger from Clark for 10 and when the same bowler accounted for Tom Lammonby (24), Somerset were struggling at 75 for five.
Rain began to fall heavily at 3:16pm and the players ran for the safety of the Andrew Caddick Pavilion with the scoreboard showing 85 for five. Tea was taken and play resumed at 4:05pm with Somerset’s title ambitions seemingly resting on the shoulders of James Rew and Lewis Gregory. The pair brought up the Somerset 100 in the 28th over but Gregory was lbw to Shakib Al Hasan for 13 at 110 for six, and the same bowler had Rew caught at first slip for 29. Dan Worrall then found Brett Randell’s outside edge and Ben Foakes did the rest at 122 for eight.
Leach and Craig Overton took Somerset past 150 but with the score on 153 the England spinner took a big swing at Curran and edged behind. The seamer, who has returned from his self-imposed break from red-ball cricket, then engaged in some interaction with Somerset supporters which stems back to an incident at a Blast fixture a few years ago.
Banton them hobbled out to a standing ovation from those gathered within the CACG with Tom Lammonby as a runner. Putting supporters in mind of James Hildreth who batted valiantly for Somerset with a broken ankle, Banton was clearly in pain and was unable to put any weight on his injured ankle.
The Somerset batter, who lit up the fixture on the opening day with a brilliant hundred, showed tremendous courage and also a fine array of shots, dispatching both Curran and Shakib to the boundary.
By the close of play, Somerset had reached 194 for nine and Banton’s partnership with Overton (40), whose contribution should certainly not be overlooked, was worth 41. It was a dramatic conclusion to the day which has given Somerset’s Members and supporters a genuine sense that the title dream is still alive.
