County Championship: Michael Vaughan’s son takes 11 wickets as Somerset revives title bid by beating champion Surrey

Archie Vaughan, an 18-year-old off-spinner appearing in just his second Championship match, enjoyed a superb return of five for 38 in 32 overs as visitor Surrey, set a target of 221, was bowled out for 109.

Archie Vaughan of Somerset celebrating against Surrey in the County Championship Division One match. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

The teenage son of former England captain Michael Vaughan finished with a superb match haul of 11 wickets as Somerset beat title-holder 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 five for 38 in 32 overs as visitor Surrey, set a target of 221, was 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 batter with Yorkshire, a match return of 11 for 140 after he took six for 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 five for 37 in 37 overs.

The match appeared destined for a draw with Surrey 95 for three, but the reigning champion lost its 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, which has never won the County Championship - English cricket’s domestic first-class competition - just eight points behind First Division leader Surrey, bidding for a hat-trick of titles, with two games left to play.