SOMERSET slipped to next to bottom of Division One in the Rothesay County Championship after being well beaten by Surrey at the Oval - with a day to spare.

After four of the total of 14 four day matches Somerset will play this season they are still without a victory and have been beaten twice, not the start that they were hoping for

After being asked to bat first, the Cidermen lost Sean Dickson early on when he had to retire hurt following being hit on the hand by a ball, following which Archie Vaughan and Tom Lammonby added 98 together before Vaughan was dismissed for a patient 36 off 91 balls.

New batter Tom Abell followed next over without scoring after which Lammmonby and Tom Banton shared a third wicket partnership of 47 before Banton perished for 26.

Lammonby was out for 76 off 173 balls after a stay of almost four hours at the crease with the total on 152 after which wickets tumbled and the visitors found themselves 187 for seven when new batter Josh Davey came into join skipper Lewis Gregory.

Together the pair set about giving the total some respectability and added 62 together before Davey was out for 29 which came from 60 balls.

Somerset eventually reached 283 before they were all out in 95.1 overs, Gregory the last wicket to fall having made 62 off 81 deliveries.

When Surrey replied their openers put on 129 together before Davey had Rory Burns caught by Kasey Aldridge.

Gregory accounted for new batter Ollie Pope cheaply before Dom Sibley and Jamie Smith added 62 , when Sibley fell to Jack Leach for 53.

Ben Foakes and Smith put on 58 for the fifth wicket before Smith was claimed by Aldridge for 58 making Surrey 246 for four.

Foakes was next to go bowled by Gregory for 42, and when the skipper claimed Ryan Patel and Migael Pretorius had Jordan Clarke caught by James Rew , at 305 for seven Somerset had hopes of limiting Surrey to a small lead.

In the end, however, the last three wickets added 62 runs as Surrey were all out for 367, the pick of the Somerset bowlers being Gregory with three for 46.

Batting for a second time 84 in arrears Somerset collapsed to 38 for seven before Pretorius with 54 off 45 balls supported by Gregory who ended unbeaten on 18 off 51 balls added 79 together before they were all out for 119.

Surrey scored the 36 runs needed for the loss of two wickets to complete an eight wicket victory on Sunday afternoon.

After the game had finished head coach Jason Kerr said: “It’s hard to describe what happened after lunch, because it was still a good pitch to bat on but there can be no excuses for it. It’s one of the things we have just talked about in the dressing room – if you want to be a successful side you can’t afford collapses like that.

Kerr added: “I take all the responsibility. In my position comes accountability – you get no credit when the sides does well and all the accountability when they don’t perform. I know how hard the guys are working and how good they are as individuals but today was nowhere near good enough.”