Somerset v Essex Eagles
Vitality Blast
Friday 03 August
The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton
Somerset Team | Johann Myburgh, Tom Banton (wk), Peter Trego, James Hildreth, Tom Abell, Corey Anderson, Lewis Gregory (c), Roelof van der Merwe, Jamie Overton, Jerome Taylor, Max Waller.
Essex Eagles Team | Adam Wheater (31) (wk), Varun Chopra (6), Paul Walter (22), Ryan ten Doeschate (27) (c), Michael Pepper (19), Ravi Bopara (25), Simon Harmer (11), Matt Coles (1), Peter Siddle (64), Adam Zampa (88), Jamie Porter (44).
Toss | Essex Eagles, who elected to bat
Umpires | Ian Blackwell & Graham Lloyd
Match Result | Somerset win by 10 wickets
Essex Eagles suffered a 10 wickets defeat to Somerset in the Vitality Blast match at Taunton on Friday, a defeat that leaves the Eagles rooted to the bottom of the South Group table.
Johann Myburgh produced a swashbuckling performance hitting a magnificent unbeaten century as Somerset raced to victory with 8.4 overs to spare after the visitors could only manage 135 for 9 from 20 overs.
Myburgh carved, cut, drove and pulled his way to his first T20 hundred reaching his half-century from 22 balls whilst his second fifty arrived from a further 20 deliveries. His hundred included 3 sixes and 16 fours as he punished the Eagles attack unmercifully in this one-sided match.
He was on 103 when his opening partner, 19 year-old Tom Banton struck the winning run. The teenager was quite content to play the support role ending 29 not out and having faced 25 balls that included 1 six and 2 fours.
Myburgh served notice of his intent in the fourth over when Adam Zampa sent down the first of his only two overs and collected 18 off the first four deliveries before adding a single.
Myburgh then took three successive boundaries off Matt Coles, the second of which brought the Somerset total past 50 off just 4.2 overs.
Two overs later, Peter Siddle was to suffer heavy punishment from Myburgh’s bat. Three successive fours brought the opener his 50 and he celebrated by sending the next ball over the ropes before ending the over with another boundary as Somerset reached 77 without loss at the end of the powerplay.
Their 100 arrived from the first ball of the 8th over and completed their stroll in the park to victory 19 balls later.
Earlier, Ryan ten Doeschate and Varun Chopra posted 46 in 7 overs – the highest stand of the Eagles innings – carrying their side to 82 for 2 in the 12th over after the visitors had won the toss.
Then both were dismissed in successive overs, ten Doeaschate caught at short third man for 26 and Chopra run out or 43 after he paid the price for backing up too far when Michael Pepper drove a ball from Jamie Overton to mid-off.
Pepper, playing his first T20 match for the Eagles hit 27 from 30 balls but once a 32 runs liaison with Ravi Bopara was ended when the latter skied a return catch to Jamie Overton, the innings fell away badly with five wickets falling in the last three overs.
Three of those went in the final over of the innings to leave bowler Jerome Taylor with figures of 3 for 28.
