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Archie’s century helps secure Somerset a home Play Off
A first Somerset hundred for Archie Vaughan helped his side to a comprehensive eight-wick (DLS) win over Northants Steelbacks in the Metro Bank One Day Cup at the Cooper Associates County Ground and set up a home play off game against Gloucestershire on Thursday.
Chasing a revised total of 240 for victory, the home side reached their total with 4.2 overs to spare.
It was an impressive victory for Somerset who secured second place in Group B having won six of their eight games.
The visitors won the toss and elected to bat first.
Ricardo Vasconcelos (10) and James Sales shared an opening stand of 31 before the former top edged Jake Ball high into the Taunton sky enabling James Rew to run around and take a simple catch.
At 11:38 the rain began to fall with the scoreboard showing 39 for one and the players scuttled for the sanctuary of the dressing rooms. The unexpected wet weather resulted in a 25 minute delay and the loss of three overs per side.
When play resumed, Ravi Bopara survived a vociferous run out appeal without further addition to the score. The visitors attempted a quick single off Ball, but Tom Lammonby threw down the stumps with the Northants batter having to dive full length to make up his ground. The Somerset fielders were absolutely convinced that he was short but the umpires remained unmoved.
Bopara’s reprieve didn’t last long though. With the score on 50, he was dismissed for nine. Fin Hill taking a fine diving catch at deep mid wicket off the bowling of Ben Green.
The 50 partnership for the third wicket between Sales and Tim Robinson arrived from 56 deliveries and Northants reached three figures in the 21st over.
The score had advanced to 103 when Sales (45) was brilliantly run out by Archie Vaughan. The Somerset fielder picked the ball up on the run and his direct hit accounted for the Northants opener.
Robinson’s 50 arrived from as many balls but he fell for 69 to the final ball of the 30th over at 163 for four, caught on the boundary by Hill off the bowling of Kasey Aldridge.
163 for four became 174 for five when Lewis McManus (2) was bowled by a brilliant slower ball from Green, and when James Rew took a superb diving catch to remove Justin Broad (38) after the Northants batter top edged a bouncer from Aldridge the score was 188 for six in the 36th over.
It wasn’t a happy return to Taunton for George Bartlett. The former Somerset batter fell lbw to Aldridge for 12 at 198 for seven at the end of the 38th, but three balls later Luke Proctor took his side past the 200-mark, sweeping Lewis Goldsworthy to the boundary in front of the Trade Nation Stand.
Lammonby trapped Procter lbw for six at 206 for eight in the 40th and when Dom Leech (9) fell in similar fashion to Aldridge, The Steelbacks were 231 for nine in the 43rd.
Stuart van der Merwe depsoited the opening ball of the 44th over, bowled by Lammonby, onto the balcony of the Long Room but the Somerset bowler gained his revenge with the very next delivery when van der Merwe was caught on the boundary by Aldridge looking to repeat the feat.
Northants were all out for 238 from 43.2 overs. Aldridge was the pick of the attack, claiming four for 54 from his 10 overs.
Chasing a revised total of 240, the Somerset reply got off to a solid start as openers Lammonby and Vaughan reached the 50-mark after eight overs.
Lammonby went to his 50 from 53 deliveries and the Somerset hundred arrived in the 18th over. Vaughan’s half century was amassed from 60 balls and the score reached 150 in the 29th over.
When the score reached 156, the pair passed Somerset’s previous highest opening stand against Northants in List A cricket which was set by Jamie Cox and Marcus Trescothick in 2001.
The partnership was worth 168 when Lammonby departed for 83, van der Merwe taking an excellent diving catch off his own bowling in the 32nd over.
The 200 arrived in the 37th over as Lewis Goldsworthy took the attack to the Northants bowlers. He had reached 26 from just 19 deliveries when he was cramped for room by Leech and got a leading edge to Vasconcelos at mid wicket.
Undeterred, Vaughan continued to bat beautifully and reached his maiden List A century from 110 balls. He remained unbeaten on 109 as Somerset claimed an emphatic victory to set up a big local derby.
