County cricket talking points: Surrey and Hampshire deliver tight wins

In a good week for red-ball cricket, Surrey found themselves in unexpectedly squeaky bum territory as a resourceful Somerset side snapped at their heels all the way into the 12th session of their match in the County Championship.

After dismissing the home side for 180, Rory Burns probably thought that one decent partnership would get the leaders ahead and two would put them into a winning position. The first came in somewhat unusual circumstances (it was a match of unusual circumstances, in which one Overton concussed the other) as Hashim Amla was unable to continue, so the second wicket partnership of 136 was constructed by the captain, the Overseas signing and Ben Geddes. Will Jacks and Jordan Clark added 86 for the sixth wicket and Somerset were 200 or so behind with almost half the match to be played.

But pitches are not deteriorating this season (or maybe, as in Surrey’s case, spinners are not being picked) and Lewis Goldsworthy and Lewis Gregory got their side level before Peter Siddle showed that he has lost none of his tenacity at 37. Surrey were still 39 short with half the order back in the hutch, but Jacks and Clark continued where they left off the first time round and the clearheaded Overton was at the crease when the winning runs were scored. Surrey stay top.

Hampshire stayed on the heels of the unbeaten leaders after an even tighter win at home to Yorkshire (whose players should be commended for retaining focus in the circumstances).

The win looked a long way off after the visitors had racked up 428, 21-year-old George Hill stepping up from the seconds with 131 in the opener’s slot. At 12-2, James Vince was at the crease and knew his batters would need to deliver – and they did, all but his No 11 notching