Somerset bowler Craig Overton engaged in a heated online exchange with an online critic following the side's draw in the opening round of the 2025 County Championship against Worcestershire, telling the disappointed fan to "p*** off".
Overton took five wickets in Somerset's opening game of the season at Taunton, in which Worcestershire clung on in the second innings to secure a draw with just one wicket remaining. After being bowled out for 154 on day one and following Tom Banton's record-breaking 371, Worcestershire faced an uphill battle to avoid defeat, with Somerset needing just five wickets on the final day for victory.
However, led by a determined knock from captain Brett D'Oliveira, Worcestershire batted out the day, finishing nine wickets down and still trailing Somerset by 31. Somerset spinners Jack Leach and Archie Vaughan bowled 115 overs between them in Worcestershire's second innings, including bowling in tandem uninterrupted for the final 21 overs of the day while No.8 Matthew Waite and No.11 Tom Hinley batted out the draw. This drew calls from some pundits and fans for a seamer to be brought on to bowl to break up the spell of spin. Kasey Aldridge had taken five wickets in the first innings, while Overton was also in the attack to call on.
After the draw was conceded, a disappointed Somerset fan criticised Overton on X (formerly Twitter) for not bowling during the final throes of the game. Overton hit back, writing: "You wouldn’t be happy if I bowled from one end all day would you. Why don’t you p*** off and support someone else?"
You wouldn’t be happy if I bowled from one end all day would you. Why don’t you piss off and support someone else?
— Craig Overton (@craigoverton12) April 7, 2025
It's not the first time Overton has had online spats with the same account, having responded to criticism from the account on at least two previous occasions.
Overton took the most wickets of any seamer for Somerset in last year's County Championship, and is a core part of their bowling attack. He's also played eight Tests and seven ODIs for England, with his most recent Test appearance having been in 2022 against West Indies.
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