Somerset v Essex
Vitality Blast
Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton
Team News:
Essex: Adam Rossington (wk), Robin Das, Michael Pepper, Matt Critchley, Paul Walter, Tom Westley, Daniel Sams, Simon Harmer (c), Ben Allison, Sam Cook.
Somerset: Sean Dickson, Will Smeed, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Tom Abell, Tom Lammomby, Lewis Gregory, Ben Green, Roelof van der Merwe, Craig Overton, Matt Henry, Peter Siddle.
Match Details:
Umpires: Billy Taylor and Ian Blackwell
Match Referee: Mike Smith
Toss: Essex won and elected to field
Result: Somerset won by 11 runs
Scorecard: View Here
Match Highlights:
Match Reaction: Michael Pepper
Match Report:
Matt Henry and Ben Green took three wickets each as Somerset defended their first innings score to maintain a 100% Vitality Blast South Group record with an 11-run win over Essex at Taunton.
The hosts could muster only 150 all out, having lost the toss, under cloudless skies on a pitch that looked full of runs. Sean Dickson top scored with 42 on his T20 debut for the club, while Daniel Sams claimed four for 20.
In reply, Essex were bowled out for 139, despite a bristling 63 off 43 balls from Michael Pepper, Henry finishing with three for 17 and Green taking his wicket tally in the competition to 14 with three for 24.
It meant a perfect six out of six record for the Cidermen in the group, while Essex were left with four points from as many matches.
Another Cooper Associates County Ground run feast looked on the cards when Somerset opener Tom Lammonby off-drove the first ball of the game from Sam Cook for a boundary.
The third over saw Lammonby hit the first six over long-on off Ben Allison. But Will Smeed departed for just a single with the total on 34, chipping a catch to deep backward square off Shane Snater.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore hit Sam Cook for a four through mid-wicket and a straight six in the fifth over. Lammonby also cleared the ropes again before being bowled by Sams with the score on 51, having made 34 off 23 deliveries.
At the end of the six-over power play, Somerset were 52 for two. Simon Harmer then held a brilliant two-handed return catch, moving to his left, to send back the dangerous Kohler-Cadmore for 17.
The home side were never able to regain momentum, Tom Abell sweeping a catch to deep mid-wicket off Matt Critchley and Lewis Gregory lofting to long-off to give Allison a wicket.
When Green was bowled by a full delivery from Cook, it was 108 for six in the 15th over. Dickson, who lost his place in Somerset’s County Championship side after a string of low scores this season, shouldered responsibility for a respectable score.
He cleared the ropes twice and hit 3 fours in facing 29 balls before being seventh man out, caught at long-on off Harmer.
Sams cleaned up the tail, sending back Roelof van der Merwe, Henry and Craig Overton as Somerset fell well short of the total they would have been targeting in such advantageous batting conditions.
Adam Rossington began the Essex reply with a boundary off the first ball, sent down by Overton, who went on to prove expensive from the River End.
Henry gave Somerset hope by dismissing Rossington in his first over and Robin Das in his second. But Das had already hit 3 fours off Overton before departing for 17.
Pepper struck two sixes and a four in Overton’s third over, at the end of which the England seamer was pulled from the attack having conceded 38.
It was 49 for two at the end of the power play. Peter Siddle then gave Somerset a boost as Critchley, on three, fell to a fine running catch by van der Merwe.
Pepper survived a tough chance to Henry at short third man off Gregory on 29 and celebrated his escape with a scooped six off Siddle.
Essex were approaching their task in cavalier manner and a fourth wicket fell when Paul Walter, having made only two, skyed a steepling catch to Abell at cover in Green’s first over.
Pepper moved to an impressive fifty off 31 balls in the 11th over, but lost another partner when Tom Westley was bowled by van der Merwe.
At 97 for five, Essex required seven runs an over. Their task increased when Pepper was caught behind off van der Merwe, stepping back to strike through the off side.
Harmer reverse swept a six off van der Merwe before Henry yorked him for 16 with the target 21 off 13 balls. Green followed up by having Sams brilliantly caught on the mid-wicket boundary by Lammonby and Allison snapped up at short third-man.
A suicidal mix-up between the last pair saw Snater run out off the first ball of the final over and completed Somerset’s most unlikely success of their six group victories.
