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Somerset ease past Hampshire Hawks

MATCH CENTRE

Tom Banton’s destruction of Hampshire put defending champions Somerset within a point of qualifying for the Vitality Blast quarter-finals.

Opener Banton smashed an unbeaten 79 off 52 balls in partnerships of 81 and 77 with George Thomas and Tom Kohler-Cadmore to chase down 158 with ease at Utilita Bowl.

Jack Leach claimed two for 23 and Migael Pretorius, making his Blast debut, picked up two for 22 whilst there was also two wickets for Jake Ball, with only Tom Prest’s 51 halting the Somerset dominance.

Banton finished off the nine-wicket victory to put Somerset onto 15 points, with only Gloucestershire, who are two points behind but only have one fixture left, able to prevent them from a knockout berth. Hampshire’s three-year run of qualification has now officially ended.

James Vince chose to bat first, and he and Ben McDermott began strongly with 45 coming from the first five overs, but from Pretorius and Leach’s introductions, Somerset took control.

Pretorius only conceded four runs off the bat in his first over before bowling Vince with sensational delivery that kissed the top of off stump.

McDermott had confidently thumped a couple of fours and a pair of sixes but fell to Leach, and from 78 for two at the half-way point, Hampshire couldn’t find any fluency as Joe Weatherley and Benny Howell fell in quick succession.

Quietly Prest was doing all he could get the innings going with timed power surging through the offside, as he added 32 with James Fuller.

Prest had missed the first half of the Blast with a shoulder injury but, after scoring 53 for the County Select XI earlier in the month, moved to a fifth Blast half-century in 31 balls. However, he skied the next ball down the ground, which came either side of Fuller and Toby Albert holing out on the legside. Dawson’s late 15 off nine balls got the hosts to 157.

However, it never felt enough, especially with Banton and Thomas hammering to all parts. The tone was set with the first delivery clipped off Banton’s hip to the ropes and never relented.

Howell found a small edge behind to end Thomas’ run-a-ball 29 but that only brought the juggernaut of Tom Kohler-Cadmore out to finish things in double quick time, he struck two fours and three sixes in his 43 not out.

But the star, as has often been the case in the 2024 Blast was Banton. His third fifty of the campaign came in a measured 34 balls before passing 400 runs in the season as the victory was secured with 12 balls to spare.