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Somerset back to winning ways at Hampshire
Somerset returned to winning ways in the Vitality Blast and cemented their place at the top of the South Group with a last-over win over Hampshire Hawks.
Sean Dickson led Somerset’s chase of 179 with a sublime 52, having been accompanied by Tom Abell in an 89-run fourth wicket partnership.
But a spree of wickets made sure the visitors still required 23 off two overs and then 11 off the last, but Ben Green and Lewis Goldsworthy reached the winning line with a ball to spare.
Earlier, James Vince and Joe Weatherley had ravaged 82 and 60 in a massive 141-run stand but it wasn’t enough.
Somerset were miserly with the new ball, after stand-in captain Tom Kohler-Cadmore had chosen to bowl first, as they forced the Hawks to flounder in the first eight overs.
Ali Orr turned Craig Overton to Goldsworthy at short leg off the second ball, and while Toby Albert tried hard to inject some impetus into the innings he was caught and bowled by Riley Meredith for a 19-ball 27.
Hampshire were 39 for two at the end of the eighth over, with Vince stumbling to just six runs – having already been one off 10 and five off 16 balls. But from that point Vince and the hosts started scoring runs and barely stopped for the remaining 12 overs.
Vince kicked into gear with back-to-back boundaries off Ben Green to start the ninth over before roaring through his repertoire. The tortoise-esque start was long forgotten as sixes flowed off Vince and Weatherley’s bats. Vince reached his fifty in 41 balls before further accelerating to end up with a strike rate of almost 144.
Weatherley had been equally important to the resuscitation of the innings and ended up with five sixes, to one four, having whacked his half-century in 38 balls – brought up with a huge pulled maximum.
In total, the Vince and Weatherley alliance put on 141 in 85 balls, just three runs shy of the all-time record partnership for Hampshire against Somerset. Even though Vince picked out long on with a ball to go, the Hawks reached 178.
Somerset were more even paced in their chase, but lost wickets just as batters started to click.
Tom Banton flew a six before slapping to mid off next ball, Will Smeed inside-edged behind, and Kohler-Cadmore had his stumps dismantled by Liam Dawson.
However, they found stickability in Dickson and Abell who put on 89 in 57 balls.
Dickson naturally took the aggressor role with a quartet of square sixes as Abell rotated strike and found boundaries when they were provided.
Dickson reached his second fifty of the campaign in 30 balls but within five balls of each other he and Abell had departed. Dickson holing out before Abell was incredibly caught and bowled by Scott Currie with 36 still required.
Tom Lammonby picked out cover in the penultimate over but Goldsworthy and Green took it down to 11 from the final six balls.
Sonny Baker stood up against his former club but a Green six with the third ball over midwicket turned the tide in Somerset’s favour.
After his excellent innings, Sean Dickson said: “It was a really good game. All respect to Hampshire who put themselves in a really good position after the powerplay. All credit to Vincey and Joe, they had an incredible knock.
“It isn’t necessarily where I enjoy hitting the ball but on the day I’ll take anything. Generally I like to hit straight but today they bowled with an arc and I made the most of it.
“It was a calm partnership with Abes. There wasn’t much panic and there’s always clarity batting with him. We discussed a lot of things in the middle which helped.
“All credit to Ben and Lewis to put the ball over the boundary like they did. It is a testament to the work they have done in the winter. I am very happy for them.
“It is very important we stay ahead of the game in the South Group. We need to make sure we don’t get complacent and keep doing the simple things well.”
