Somerset Secure One Day Cup Final Slot
Somerset’s bid to secure a first win in the Metro Bank One Day Cup since 2019 remain on track after a stunning semi-final at Taunton against defending champions Leicestershire.
The Vertu Motors-backed side had qualified for the semi-final after topping Group A, with Leicestershire earning their slot thanks to a three wicket win against Hampshire in one of the two quarter-final ties.
Leicestershire won the toss and elected to bowl first and made the ideal start when Ian Holland bowled a maiden to kick things off, but Andy Umeed and George Thomas then shared a slow but steady opening partnership of 91 before Thomas was dismissed from the final ball of the 19th over.
Umeed’s recent run of good form in the competition saw him pass his half century before he was dismissed for 57 to leave Somerset on 120-2, bringing James Rew to the crease to join Lewis Goldsworthy.
The pair immediately started to hit out and put on 131 for the third wicket before Rew was dismissed for 71 – scored off 57 balls with ten boundaries along the way.
It was Goldsworthy however who was proving to be the lynchpin of the innings as he went on the attack against the side he had represented on loan in the T20 blast.
Supported late on by Sean Dickson and Ben Green, Goldsworthy set a career best 115 from only 86 balls, including five sixes, as he helped to steer Somerset to 334-4.
That was the highest score set by Somerset against their rivals, but the visitors started well as Sol Budinger and Ian Holland quickly rattled off the first 50 runs before Budinger was first man out with the score on 54.
Holland and Lewis Hill took the score on towards 100 before Hill was dismissed for 19 off the bowling of Green – who then dismissed Holland and Ajinkya Rahane in quick succession to turn the chase on its head and leave Leicestershire on 106-4.
Peter Handscomb and Ben Cox helped to keep the holders alive, with Handscomb racing to his half century in a partnership of 131 before Cox was dismissed for 49 off the bowling of Kasey Aldridge.
Aldridge then caught Louis Kimber off the bowling of Jack Leach in the following over and promptly removed Liam Trevaskis caught and bowled as Leicestershire slipped from 237-4 to 245-7.
With Somerset having added a huge chunk of runs late on, Leicestershire headed into the final five overs with 66 still needed from 30 balls.
Having reached his century, Handscomb was dismissed off the bowling of Josh Davey and with his dismissal went any chance of the holders progressing, with Somerset ultimately securing the victory by 23 runs as the innings closed on 311-9.
It means Somerset will now head to Trent Bridge next month to face Glamorgan in the final after the Welsh side beat Warwickshire in the other semi-final.
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