Overton 'could not have asked for more' from form

Somerset all-rounder Craig Overton said he could "not have asked for much more" in terms of his form in the County Championship this season.

Overton scored his third century of the campaign in the draw with Warwickshire to help Somerset move within five points of championship leaders Nottinghamshire.

The 32-year-old was wearing the captain's armband in Taunton in the absence of the injured Lewis Gregory.

"It's been a good start this year, hopefully can continue that form. I feel like the T20s haven't quite gone to plan yet but in the Championship I couldn't have asked for anything more," Overton told BBC Radio Somerset.

"Hopefully that continues come the back end of the comp."

Overton has scored 548 runs, at an average of 45, in the eight matches and also has taken 33 wickets and made 12 catches to make him one of the strongest all-rounders of the season so far.

The draw against Warwickshire followed an impressive win at Trent Bridge, to hand Nottinghamshire their first defeat of the season, and puts Somerset in a strong position in the table when the competition returns for the final six matches on 20 August.

Somerset are aiming to win a first County Championship title and Overton added that the club feel they have left points on the field in some of their games because of a "couple of bad hours" that led to their two losses.

"We knew coming into these two games if we got a positive result and a decent draw we'd probably take it," he said.

"To get that win up in Notts last week and then to fight hard this week to get a draw was massive for us and it puts us in a great spot coming into the back end of August to push for that first Championship [title]."

He added: "We feel like we should be a long way clear with the way we've played but that's sometimes cricket.

"We're just going to have to turn up the back end and if we put in four or five good performances we know we'll be there or thereabouts."

Somerset switch their attention back to T20 for the next six weeks and host rivals Gloucestershire on Friday night.

They are fifth in the Central and West group with six games to go, knowing they need to turn their form around with the top two and best third-placed teams automatically qualifying for the knockout stage.

Overton has also played in all six of their games in the Blast with the squad missing a number of players to injury in recent weeks including Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Tom Banton, Will Smeed and Tom Lammonby.

"The way the squad is at the minute we probably can't rest that much," Overton said.

"It's trying to get through and manage the body as best as we can. But [I am] feeling all right at the minute and it's just making sure I look after it as much as possible knowing we've got a big six games in the T20s to try and qualify, and go from there."