Specsavers County Championship - Division 1
Day 4
Somerset 436 all out draw with Surrey 345 all out
DOM Bess took five wickets as Somerset dismissed Surrey for 345 at the Cooper Associates County Ground, as yesterday's washout ensured the final day's play would see only bonus points at stake.
Somerset ended up with 13 points (five for the draw, plus five batting and three bowling points) to Surrey's 11 - which takes the hosts off the bottom of Division 1 and 20 points behind third-from-bottom Middlesex.
Visitors Surrey resumed their first innings on 69-1, trailing the home side by 367 runs, and soon lost Scott Borthwick (7), as he was caught by Tom Abell at cover to give 20-year-old Bess his first victim.
Jason Roy fell to Jack Leach for 26, and then Mark Stoneman to Bess for a fine 67, both also being caught by the skipper Abell.
Top work from the Somerset spinners this morning!#SOMvSUR pic.twitter.com/eRZMtbbkrK
— Somerset Cricket 🏏 (@SomersetCCC) August 10, 2017
Ben Foakes (20) was caught behind by Steve Davies off the bowling of Craig Overton, and Surrey were 183-5 at lunch.
Bess' third wicket came when Aaron Finch (39) was caught by Marcus Trescothick, and Sam Curran (32) was caught and bowled by the same off-spinner, but Surrey had two batting points as they made their way to 284-7 at tea.
Rikki Clarke departed for 33 (caught behind off Tim Groenewald), before Tom Curran (35) was run out by Abell.
RUN-OUT! Top effort from Tom Abell, running out Tom Curran for 35 and that is maximum bowling points on the board! 306/9#SOMvSUR pic.twitter.com/CWAPZJejOn
— Somerset Cricket 🏏 (@SomersetCCC) August 10, 2017
Bess wrapped it up - and claimed his fifth five-fer for Somerset - as he had Stuart Meaker stumped by Davies for 18, as Surrey were dismissed for 345, six runs short of a fourth batting point.
The off-spinner, who ended with figures of 5-101, now has 35 wickets in six County Championship appearances.
The inevitable draw will certainly frustrate Somerset, who performed better over the match, but the improved batting display is exactly what they need to continue into their remaining County Championship matches if they are to avoid relegation.
They are back in NatWest T20 Blast action this weekend, though, with sold-out matches at the County Ground against Kent (Saturday, 4pm) and Glamorgan (2.30pm).
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