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Somerset miss out in Vitality Blast Final
Somerset’s hopes of becoming the first side to retain the Vitality Blast trophy were dashed by a rampant Gloucestershire in the final at Edgbaston.
Cameron Bancroft and Miles Hammond put the Somerset attack to the sword after bowling out their local rivals cheaply to take the title for the very first time.
Gloucestershire Captain, Jack Taylor won the toss and invited Somerset to bat first.
After surviving some early scares, Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Will Smeed shared an opening stand of 28, setting a far more solid platform than they had done in the successful semi-final against Surrey. Indeed, Kohler-Cadmore helped himself to two enormous sixes off David Payne but within five balls, both openers were back in the dressing room.
First, Smeed (8) got a thick outside edge off Matt Taylor and Tom Smith took a catch at backward point and then Kohler-Cadmore (21) top edged high into the sky allowing Tom Price to make a good tumbling catch on the edge of the ring to give Taylor his second wicket of the over at 33 for two.
James Rew and Tom Abell took the score to 41 before the former crashed the ball to extra cover where Cameron Bancroft took a sharp catch and all of a sudden Taylor had three.
Sean Dickson was Somerset’s hero in the semi-final win over Surrey, but he couldn’t repeat his heroics as he was bowled first ball by Ollie Price for the addition of just one run to the total.
By the halfway stage, Lewis Gregory and Abell had steered their side to 63.
The pair shared a stand of 44 from 38 balls before Abell picked out Bancroft on the long on boundary off Tom Price and departed for 19. At this stage Somerset were 86 for five in the 13th over.
Just as Somerset looked to be gaining some momentum, Payne struck twice with the first two balls of the 16th over. Firstly, Ben Green got a leading edge and the ball dropped into the waiting hands of Tom Smith at backward point, and then a slower ball accounted for Craig Overton who chipped to Jack Taylor at short extra cover and Somerset were 105 for seven.
The score had advanced to 114 when Roelof van der Merwe tried to chop the last ball of the 17th over through backward point but edged Shaw through to Bracey who made a sharp catch.
Gregory continued to plunder runs effectively and intelligently and reached his 50 from 33 balls. His Captain’s innings of 53 from 37 balls came to an end in the penultimate over when he picked out Ollie Price at long off. That wicket saw Payne equal Alfonso Thomas’ record for the most wickets in a single Vitality Blast season (33).
Somerset were eventually all out for 124 when Jake Ball (0) skied Shaw to Price at mid off.
The Gloucestershire response was a positive one and by the end of the powerplay Bancroft and Miles Hammond had taken their side to 49 without loss.
With the score on 76, Ben Green was brought into the attack and thought he had trapped Bancroft lbw with his first ball. The umpire agreed but the Australian batter immediately reviewed. The decision was not out. He then survived a run out review as Gloucestershire reached the halfway stage at 82 without loss.
Bancroft eventually fell for 53 in the 14th over with the score on 112, caught by Smeed at deep square leg off Davey. James Bracey then went for two, caught by Tom Lammonby, on the field as a sub for Abell who limped off, to give Jake Ball a wicket, but by that point the game was up.
Hammond finished unbeaten on 58 as Gloucestershire claimed the local bragging rights and the Vitality Blast crown by eight wickets.
