Tom Banton strides to field in crutches after heroic knock as Somerset clinch dramatic County victory over Surrey

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As the play drew to the close on the final day, Surrey seemed poised to secure a hard-fought draw. With Jordan Clark and Kemar Roach at the crease, the ninth-wicket pair had stoically held off Somerset's bowlers for over 11 overs, remarkably without a single run coming off the bat. Their resilience, however, was broken by Jack Leach, who first had Clark caught behind before trapping Dan Worrall lbw just two balls later.

The double strike triggered wild celebrations as the 11 Somerset players, all crowded around the bat, erupted in joy and sprinted into the distance.

Amid the chaos, a memorable image emerged – Tom Banton, hobbling on crutches, making his way towards the middle. Despite having rolled his ankle before play on day three, Banton had been instrumental in keeping Somerset's hopes alive.

Earlier in the game, with Somerset's lead hovering just under 150, Banton had carved out a gritty 46, pushing the target well past 200. His fearless approach, including a reverse sweep off Shakib-al-Hasan despite being unable to move his feet, ensured that his first-innings century did not go in vain.

Watch Banton's brilliant celebration here:

Somerset owed much to their two spinners, Jack Leach and Archie Vaughan, who shared all 20 Surrey wickets between them. The 18-year-old Vaughan, son of the renowned Michael Vaughan, emerged as a key player. His dismissal of Shakib on the final day – for a duck – was a turning point, igniting Somerset's belief.

Leach picked four wickets while Vaughan took six in the first innings. In the second, both shared a five-wicket haul. Surrey were reeling at 101/8 when Jordan Clark and Kemar Roach sustained the Somerset spin twins for over 11 overs. However, their resistance was fiinally broken by Leach in the 78th over, who went to take the final wicket just a ball later to clinch a memorable win for the side.

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