Somerset Progress To Quarter Finals
Somerset’s quest to defend the Vitaly Blast title remains on course after qualifying for the quarter-finals of the T20 competition.
The Vertu Motors-backed side headed into the penultimate round of group games in a strong position in the Southern Group, with the potential to secure a spot in the knock-out stages with a positive result against Sussex.
Somerset won the toss at Taunton and put the visitors in to bat, with the opening over going for just one run off the bowling of Craig Overton. The visitors were however able to get into their stride through the remainder of the powerplay to end the sixth over sitting on 49-1 after Daniel Hughes was the first wicket to fall.
Jack Leach came into the attack in the eighth over and was hit for ten from his first two deliveries before having Harrison Ward caught for 39 and it triggered a mini collapse as Ben Green then dismissed both Tom Clark and John Simpson in the following over to leave Sussex on 71-4 by the half-way point pf the innings.
Tom Alsop fell to Green in the 13th over before James Coles and Danny Lamb were both run out in consecutive overs as Sussex struggled to gain any real momentum with the bat.
Two wickets in the final over – a fourth for Green as well as a third run-out – meant Sussex posted 158-9, and the home side made a solid response to reach 56-1 by the end of the powerplay; Tom Banton being the only man out for eight.
Fellow opener Thomas fell for 42 and was followed shortly afterwards by Tom Kohler-Cadmore to leave Somerset on 89-3 at the half-way point in the innings – still needing 80 to win from 60 balls.
Tom Abell and Sean Dickson then went on the attack and smashed 41 from the next three overs to turn the tide firmly in Somerset’s favour and the victory target was very much in reach when Dickson was run out for 28 with the score on 149-4.
Lewis Gregory joins Abell – who finished unbeaten on 47 – to knock off the final runs and secure victory by six wickets, a result that confirmed progression to the quarter-final stage.
The final group stage saw Somerset head for Cardiff to take on Glamorgan in a dead rubber, with the Welsh side unable to make it through despite winning their previous game against bottom side Kent.
The home team won the toss and went in to bat first, and it would prove to be an inspired call as Glamorgan racked up the highest total seen in the competition so far this season.
Kiran Carlson hit a fine 135 from just 64 balls and shared an opening partnership of 169 with Will Smale as the Somerset were set a huge target to chase – and they were ahead after the two overs of their reply when Dan Douthwaite was hit for 25 from the second.
However, when Timm van der Gugten picked up the wickets of Tom Banton and Tom Kohler-Cadmore in consecutive deliveries in the third over, it swung the game back towards Glamorgan, with George Thomas also dismissed before the end of the powerplay.
Although Somerset were scoring well, wickets were falling at regular intervals, and it was the introduction of Marnus Labuschagne that ultimately ended the game as a contest as he wrapped up the final five wickets – including three without conceding a run in the twelfth over.
Somerset end the group stage in third place, and will now face Northamptonshire in the quarter-finals.
Away from the Blast, Somerset bowler Shoaib Bashir took on a starring role as England beat the West Indies in the second Test match at Trent Bridge to wrap up victory in the series.
The West Indies had been set 385 to win but Bashir took five wickets – including a spell of 3-8 from 15 balls – that saw the visitors dismissed for 143 to give the home side a comfortable win.
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