Leach helps Somerset to rapid victory over Durham

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23-07-2025

Rothesay County Championship Division One, Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton (day two)
Durham 145 & 190: Gay 42; Leach 6-63, Vaughan 4-85
Somerset 250 & 89-5: Banton 33*, Lammonby 22; Parkinson 4-39
Somerset (20 pts) beat Durham (3pts) by five wickets
Match scorecard
Jack Leach returned figures of 6-63 as Somerset wrapped up a five-wicket County Championship Division One win over Durham inside two days at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.
From an overnight 5-2 in their second innings, trailing by 100 runs, the visitors were bowled out for 190 - left-arm spinner Leach claiming his second six-wicket haul in successive Championship games, and off-spinner Archie Vaughan taking 4-85. Emilio Gay top-scored with 42, while Ben Raine contributed 36.
That left Somerset needing 86 to win, a target they achieved in 19.2 overs, not without alarm, at just before 4pm. Tom Banton ended unbeaten on 33 and Callum Parkinson took 4-39.
Despite the turning pitch, Somerset elected to start the day with seam at both ends, skipper Lewis Gregory operating from the River End in tandem with Craig Overton.
Gay and Neil Wagner were rarely troubled and had added 26 to the overnight score by the time Vaughan was introduced from the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion End.
His first over went for 16, Gay striking four boundaries and clearly intent on carrying the game to Somerset's slow bowlers. In Leach's first over, Wagner hit a six over long-off to bring up a half-century stand from 57 balls.
Gay struck a straight six off Vaughan and followed up next ball with a swept four as Durham's total reached 76, 29 runs behind, before Somerset made a much-needed breakthrough.
Wagner had played well, facing 49 balls, before attempting to sweep a full delivery from Vaughan and falling lbw. It signalled a collapse as Gay quickly followed, caught by Overton, diving forward at short mid-wicket off Leach.
Colin Ackermann bagged a pair when playing Leach in the air to mid-off where Banton took a similar catch to Overton's, throwing himself forward. It was 92-6 when David Bedingham fell lbw to a Leach delivery that straightened from around the wicket.
Durham were still 13 runs from avoiding an innings defeat. Ollie Robinson and Graham Clark ensured that indignity was avoided with a partnership of 40 before Robinson aimed a big drive at Vaughan and was bowled for 28.
Vaughan almost struck again with his next delivery, Raine driving it back and the bowler just failing to hold a low catch diving full length to his right. The lunch score was 152-7, 147 runs having been scored in the session off 40 overs.
Clark was unbeaten on 24 and Durham led by 47. Leach had figures of 4-50 from 17 overs, and that became a five-for with 14 runs added when Clark's 89-ball innings of 32 ended with an edged forward defensive shot to wicketkeeper James Rew.
Leach struck again when George Drissell was caught and bowled off a leading edge. That left Raine with little option but to go on the attack and he cleared the ropes twice in a Vaughan over.
Vaughan claimed revenge in his next over as Raine holed out to long-off and, with 46 overs remaining, a two-day finish was guaranteed. Not surprisingly, Durham gave the new ball to left-arm spinner Callum Parkinson, whose second delivery was deposited over mid-wicket for six by Tom Kohler-Cadmore.
Drissell was greeted by a Josh Davey boundary to wide long-on as Somerset went for a quick kill. That plan suffered a setback when Davey fell leg-before to Parkinson, aiming to sweep, with the total on 13.
It was 16-2 when Kohler-Cadmore edged Parkinson to second slip. Rew, on a pair, reverse swept his first ball for four and, on five, narrowly escaped a catch to second slip off Drissell.
Tom Lammonby eased any tension with two fours off Drissell full-tosses, but was then bowled through the gate by Parkinson for 22 with Somerset halfway to their target. Rew quickly followed, caught at short mid-wicket to give Parkinson a fourth wicket.
Tom Abell was bowled by Drissell on the back foot with 24 needed. But Banton used the sweep and reverse-sweep to good effect to see Somerset home.
Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network, supported by Rothesay
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