Somerset Lose Out In Shortened Final
Somerset’s quest to end the domestic cricket season with a trophy came to an end with defeat in the Metro Bank One Day Cup final after a rain-affected game at Trent Bridge.
The Vertu Motors-backed side had missed on success in both the T20 Blast and the County Championship in the run up to the game, which ultimately had to be reduced from the planned 50 overs when rain led to a washout on the scheduled day of play.
Instead, the game went to a reserve day with the decision taken to reduce the match to 20 overs a side in a bid to ensure that a result was possible given the poor weather conditions affecting much of the country.
Somerset won the toss and elected to bowl first, with Alfie Ogborne removing both Kiran Carlson and Tom Bevan in the second over to leave rivals Glamorgan on 8-2.
However, Will Smale and Sam Northeast then started to make progress for the Welsh side, with Smale smashing six boundaries in a quickfire 28 before he was caught by Sean Dickson off Kasey Aldridge to make the score 47-3.
Colin Ingram then fell for just eleven as Glamorgan reached the half-way stage of the innings on 71-4, with the game very much in the balance.
A fifth wicket stand of 78 between Northeast and Billy Root – which included 29 from one Aldridge over – saw Glamorgan move towards 150, but Root’s dismissal was followed quickly by the wickets of both Dan Douthwaite and Ben Kellaway.
A late cameo from Timm van der Gugten saw him smash 26 from just nine balls, with Northeast ending the innings unbeaten on 63 as Somerset were set an imposing target of 187 for victory.
With 41 having been added in the final three overs, Somerset were chasing a quick start but George Thomas fell in just the third over when he was run-out after a mix-up with Andy Umeed saw him go for a run before being sent back.
Umeed attempted to make up for that by going on the attack and shared a useful partnership with Lewis Goldsworthy until the latter departed for eleven.
Umeed and James Rew fell in quick succession with the score on 89-4 – leaving a required run rate of 14 at the end of the 13th over.
Captain Lewis Dickson came in early to join teenager Archie Vaughan at the crease and runs started to flow, with a spell of three overs that went for 46 meaning Somerset headed into the final three overs needing 38 to win from 18 balls.
Dickson’s innings of 44 from 20 balls was ended in the 18th over when he was caught at third man and Somerset’s hopes where then all but ended when Jamie McIlroy went for just six from the penultimate over.
Somerset needed 23 from six balls and after Dan Douthwaite bowled a dot ball to start and then had Ben Green caught, it was an unlikely 23 from 4 required.
Unsurprisingly, that would prove to be a step too far as Glamorgan picked up the victory by 15 runs.
But with Somerset hopes rising and Glamorgan nerves jangling, Dickson fell in the 18th over trying to reverse-sweep Gorvin and clothing a catch to short third man.
Vaughan (32 not out) was left with too much to do as Jamie McIlroy bowled a mean 19th over and Dan Douthwaite finished the job.