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Abu Dhabi Counties Super Cup: Spirited Somerset suffer defeat
A young Somerset side put up a spirited performance against Yorkshire in the opening fixture of the Abu Dhabi Counties Super Cup, but it was the White Rose County who came out on top by five wickets.
Batting first, Somerset made 155 for five, Lewis Goldsworthy top scoring with 44 from 39 balls. However, Yorkshire reached their total with 15 balls to spare.
Tom Banton and James Rew opened the batting for Somerset and had put on 20 when Matt Milnes bowled Banton (16 from just nine balls) off the third ball of the third over.
Rew and Goldsworthy then took Somerset to 63 when Somerset’s young ‘keeper was lbw to Daniel Moriarty off the final ball of the ninth over for a run-a-ball 26. That soon became 63 for three when Tom Abell was run out without facing a ball.
Goldsworthy’s impressive knock came off 39 balls but he became Moriarty’s second victim at 99 for four in the 14th over, James Wharton taking the catch.
Tom Lammonby added a rapid 29 but fell to Milnes in the 17th over, Wharton again providing a safe pair of hands.
Captain Ben Green and Fin Hill both finished 17 not out as Somerset set Yorkshire a victory target of 156.
The Yorkshire reply started strongly with Adam Lyth and William Luxton taking the total to 42 before the former was caught by Banton off the final ball of the fourth over, bowled by Ned Leonard.
Green then claimed two wickets in the seventh over. Luxton (24) was snaffled by Lammonby at 74 for two before the same fielder removed George Hill just two balls later without further addition to the score.
The Somerset pair then combined yet again to give Green his third of the morning as Jordan Thompson departed for 23 with the scoreboard now showing 130 for four in the 15th over.
However, Wharton played impressively with the bat and reached 60 from 40 balls before becoming Jake Ball’s first scalp in a Somerset shirt.
Wharton fell with the score at 150 for five after 17 overs, leaving Yorkshire very much in the driving seat, and so it proved to be.
Somerset are in action in the competition again tomorrow when we take on Nottinghamshire.
The game is set to get underway at 6:15am UK time. There will be a live stream of this fixture available via https://www.facebook.com/AbuDhabiSportsHub
