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Defeat for Somerset despite Banton’s 68
Somerset suffered a first defeat in this year’s Vitality Blast after Kent Spitfires secured a narrow four-run victory in front of a capacity crowd at the Cooper Associates County Ground.
Going into the match, the hosts were defending a 100% record having won the opening five matches. Despite an impressive total of 228 for five from the visitors, it looked for much of the game as though Somerset would again chase down a big target and make it half a dozen wins in a row.
It wasn’t to be on this occasion, but they came mighty close.
Somerset Captain, Lewis Gregory won the toss and elected to field.
Tawanda Muyeye and Daniel Bell-Drummond made a solid start, weathering the storm of Craig Overton, Matt Henry and Riley Meredith, and by the end of the six over powerplay the pair had taken their the Spitfires’ total to 69.
Bell-Drummond reached 50 from 29 balls and the visitor’s 100 arrived in the ninth over.
The Kent pair continued to plunder runs from all parts of the ground and when the score reached 151 they broke the record for the highest opening partnership for the Spitfires against Somerset, surpassing the 150 made by Bell-Drummond and Joe Denly at Canterbury in 2016.
Muyeye went to his 50 from 31 balls and Bell Drummond received warm applause from the sell out crowd when he reached three figures, his third century in T20 cricket, from 48 deliveries when he cut the opening ball of the 14th over, bowled by Meredith, to the boundary.
Bell-Drummond fell to the next ball when he was caught behind without adding to his century, but the visitors had set a very solid foundation upon which to build.
As Bell-Drummond left the field the scoreboard displayed 158 for one in the 16th over.
Sam Billings arrived at the crease and looked to continue where Bell-Drummond had left off, but he picked out Tom Abell on the rope whilst looking to deposit Ben Green into the Family Stand.
Muyeye took up the mantle and brought up the Kent 200 when he cut Gregory to the boundary for four. The Somerset skipper didn’t have to wait long for his revenge, bowling the Kent batter for 70 with the very next ball.
Harry Finch and Jack Leaning added 25 to the total to keep the visitors in the ascendancy, but Riley Meredith claimed two wickets in two balls in the final over to keep the hosts in the match.
Firstly, Leaning (17) skied the ball absolutely miles into the air and the crowd held its breath until the ball dropped into Gregory’s waiting hands after what seemed like an eternity. The next ball saw Tom Rogers fall in almost identical fashion, Overton taking the catch this time.
Kent eventually finished on 228 for five, their second highest ever total against Somerset. Meredith was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with three for 45.
The Somerset run chase survived an early scare when Banton was dropped by Nathan Gilchrist on the boundary in front of the Family Stand off Klaassen when he was on two. To make matters worse for the visitors, 25 runs came from the next over, bowled by Stewart.
The Somerset 50 arrived from 27 balls and Banton reached his 50 shortly thereafter from only 22 deliveries.
Banton eventually fell for 68 when Gilchrist gained a modicum of revenge by trapping him lbw. The Somerset opener’s runs came from just 33 balls and included five fours and six sixes. The opening stand with Will Smeed was worth 91.
91 for one became 98 for two when Smeed (24) looked to put Klaassen up and over but Bell-Drummond took a catch at deep backward point.
The Somerset 100 arrived in the 9th over before Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Tom Abell took took the attack to the Kent bowlers. The 50 partnership came from just 24 balls and the Somerset 150 arrived in the 13th over.
Kohler-Cadmore raced to 38 from just 20 balls but tried one big shot too many, picking out Klaassen on the rope in front of Gimblett’s Hill at 157 for three. Abell then departed for 22 for the addition of just two more runs to the total. He looked to scoop Gilchrist but found a grateful Stewart.
Lewis Gregory (2) was next to go, picking out Jack Leaning on the boundary in front of the Trescothick Pavilion whilst looking to crease the run rate. At this point, Somerset had fallen to 166 for five in the 16th over.
Ben Green smashed the first two balls of the 18th over for six to keep Somerset in the match, and with two overs to go the hosts required 30 runs.
19 were needed off the last set of six but when Ben Green was caught on the mid wicket boundary from the opening delivery, the game was up. Overton smashed the final ball for a huge six but it was to be in vain.
