Somerset blow Northants away to keep quarter final hopes alive
Somerset’s Vitality Blast resurgence continued as they kept the quest to retain the title alive with a seven-wicket win over Northants Steelbacks at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.
At one point bottom of the group and seemingly destined to miss out on a quarter final, the holders are now third in the table and on the threshold of qualification for the knock out stages of the competition that they have dominated in the last few years.
The visitors posted 162 for eight after losing the toss, Lewis McManus staging a one-man show with a career best 76 off 43 balls, including seven fours and four sixes. Daniel Sams was the pick of the home bowling attack with three for 16 from four overs.
In reply, Somerset smashed 164 for three to win with five overs to spare, Will Smeed and James Rew both hitting 46 off 20 balls in putting together a blistering stand of 74 in 5.2 overs that effectively settled the outcome. Tom Kohler-Cadmore saw them over the line with 38 not out, including the six to win the match.
Already sure of a home quarter-final, the Steelbacks found it hard to create serious momentum after losing the dangerous Chris Lynn for only a single, made from nine balls, caught at mid-off in the fourth over, sent down by Jake Ball.
At the end of the six-over powerplay, they were 45 for two, Ricardo Vasconcelos falling to a catch at deep point off Craig Overton for 23, and the middle overs saw Somerset’s seamers and spinners take pace off the ball to restrict scoring on the used surface.
Only McManus was able to time his shots consistently as Nathan McSweeney (14), David Willey (12) and Saif Zaib (23) fell to Lewis Goldsworthy, Sams and Riley Meredith respectively, having struck only four boundaries between them.
McManus moved to an impressive 31-ball half-century, but found little support before falling to the last ball of a Steelbacks innings that looked seriously below par on a warm evening at the high-scoring Cooper Associates County Ground.
Left-arm seamer Sams cleverly employed cutters and slower balls to add the wickets of Louis Kimber and Gus Miller, while Meredith finished with one for 27 from four overs, despite taking some late stick from McManus.
Soon the Northants total was being made to look more than modest as Smeed launched a trademark offensive, moving to 31 after just three overs, which saw partner Thomas Rew dropped on 10 at extra cover off Ben Sanderson.
The introduction of spinner Zaib saw Rew smash the third six of the innings to bring up a 50-stand off just 23 balls. The onslaught from both openers continued until Smeed played one big shot too many and was caught at deep square off Sanderson, who sent down an unexpected maiden to leave Somerset 74 for one at the end of the powerplay.
Rew quickly responded with a six over mid-wicket off George Scrimshaw and Kohler-Cadmore got off the mark with a similar maximum. It was 106 for two when 18-year-old Rew ended another contribution of immense promise by holing out to deep square off Willey.
Kohler-Cadmore has been short of runs due to injury this season. The early barrage enabled him to gain valuable time at the wicket and after a brief lull, James Rew got the scoreboard moving again with four successive fours off Miller, separated only by a wide.
Rew departed for 24, but by then the result was beyond doubt. Somerset welcomed back skipper Lewis Gregory after injury and are in formidable form going into their final group match at home to Worcestershire on Sunday.
