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Somerset claim local bragging rights with derby win
Somerset secured the local bragging rights and sealed a Vitality Blast home quarter-final against Birmingham Bears courtesy of a 16-run victory over Gloucestershire at the Cooper Associates County Ground.
Ben Green top scored for the hosts whilst Jake Ball and Lewis Gregory claimed two wickets each. D’Arcy Short made an unbeaten 71 from 52 balls for the visitors but it wasn’t enough to save his side from a ninth defeat in the group.
Prior to the match starting, the players from both teams alongside the match officials shared a silence to recognise those affected by the tragic accident involving pupils from Minehead Middle School. The players also wore black armbands.
After winning the toss and electing to bat the hosts took the score to 23 in the fourth over before Tom Lammonby smashed Matt Taylor to D’Arcy Short at mid wicket to depart for 15.
Will Smeed took a liking to Josh Shaw and took 21 runs off the fifth over, however, he fell to the opening delivery of the next over when he was bowled by Taylor for 29 of just 18 deliveries.
By the end of the powerplay, Somerset had advanced to 53 for two.
James Rew made a rapid 19 but picked out Miles Hammond on the boundary off Tom Smith at 79 for three in the ninth.
A further 10 runs had been added to the total when Tom Kohler-Cadmore got the very faintest of edges through to James Bracey to give Oliver Price a wicket, and by the half way stage the hosts were 91 for four.
The Somerset 100 arrived courtesy of a wide from Price in the 12th over.
Lewis Gregory miscued Jack Taylor high into the Taunton sky and the Gloucestershire spinner took the catch off his own bowling at 105 for five in the 13th over.
Sean Dickson looked to reverse Jack Taylor but fell lbw for 14 with the total on 114, and when Lewis Goldsworthy picked out Hammond in front of the Somerset Stand off the same bowler the hosts were 122 for seven.
Ben Green (36 from 22) and Craig Overton (13 from 9) shared an eighth wicket stand of 42 from 21 balls, with 22 of those coming from the final over, bowled by David Payne, as the hosts finished on 164 for seven.
Jack Taylor finished with three for 19 whilst Matt Taylor claimed two for 11.
The Gloucestershire reply began with that rarest of things in T20 cricket; a maiden over, bowled by Overton.
Jake Ball was brought into the attack to bowl the fourth over and struck with his fourth ball, comprehensively bowling Hammond for 16 with 25 runs on the board.
Tommy Boorman (6) dispatched Overton into the Trade Nation Stand for a big six but the bowler got his revenge two balls later when Gregory took a sharp one handed catch at cover to leave the visitors on 36 for two in the fifth.
At the end of the powerplay the visitors were 43 for two, and the Gloucestershire 50 arrived in the eighth over.
Jack Leach joined the attack to bowl the 10th over and he struck with his third ball when Ben Charlesworth (16) top edged to Ball on the edge of the ring. The very next delivery saw a terrible mix up between Short and Jack Taylor as a great piece of fielding from Ball resulted in the latter being run out for 0 to leave the visitors on 66 for four.
The Gloucestershire 100 arrived in the 14th over but Green returned to the attack to bowl the 15th and he struck with the opening delivery, taking a sharp return catch off his own bowling to remove Price for 18.
Short went to 50 from 42 balls but Bracey tried to ramp Gregory in the 17th over. He got the height but not the distance and Leach took the catch on the run to leave the visitors on 116 for six.
That soon became 121 for seven when Payne edged Ball through to Rew.
Gregory bowled Matt Taylor for seven in the last over as Gloucestershire finished on 148 for eight.
Somerset now face Birmingham Bears in the quarter-final on Saturday September 6th. Everything you need to know about that fixture is available below:
