Somerset Men v Essex Men
Vitality Blast
Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton
Tuesday 08 July 2025 | 6:30pm start
Team News
Somerset Men: Tom Banton, Will Smeed, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Tom Abell, Sean Dickson, Lewis Gregory, Ben Green, Lewis Goldsworthy, Craig Overton, Matt Henry, Riley Meridith
Essex Men: Michael Pepper, Paul Walter, Jordan Cox (wk), Matt Critchley, Luc Benkenstein, Charlie Allison, Matt Critchley, Noah Thain, Simon Harmer (c), Mohammad Amir, Charlie Bennett
Match Details
Umpires: Jack Shantry & Paul Baldwin
Match Referee: Wayne Noon
Toss: Essex Men won the toss and elected to bowl
Result: Somerset Men win by 95 wickets
Match Reaction
Match Highlights
Match Report
Essex’s hopes of back-to-back Vitality Blast wins were dealt a blow as they fell to a 95-run defeat against table-topping Somerset at the Cooper Associates Ground, despite a spirited effort from young all-rounder Noah Thain.
After winning the toss under the Taunton floodlights, Essex initially struck early through Mohammad Amir, who removed Tom Banton for 15 thanks to a sharp catch at mid-on. Amir was the standout performer with the ball, returning exceptional figures of 3-22 from his four overs amidst an otherwise tough night for the Essex attack.
However, Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s brutal 90 from just 39 deliveries – featuring 8 fours and 7 sixes – took the game away from the visitors. He powered Somerset to an imposing 225-6, dominating partnerships with Will Smeed (32) and Tom Abell (20), as Essex struggled to contain the flow of runs. Despite efforts to change the momentum with spin, including overs from Matt Critchley and Luc Benkenstein, Somerset’s batters found the boundary with regularity. Critchley and Simon Harmer did take wickets, but Somerset’s middle and lower order, including Sean Dickson (28* off 17), added valuable late runs.
The chase required an explosive start, and Paul Walter obliged with 24 from 12 balls, taking 15 from Craig Overton’s opening over. However, wickets fell in a flurry as the Somerset seam attack took hold. Riley Meredith bowled Michael Pepper with a peach of a delivery, before Matt Henry – playing his final game before departing for international duty – removed both Walter and Benkenstein in quick succession. Essex were 48-5 inside the powerplay.
Jordan Cox and Charlie Allison also fell during that collapse, while Critchley was run out attempting a quick single, and Robin Das holed out in the deep to leave Essex reeling at 81-7.
There was late resistance from 19-year-old Noah Thain, who played with maturity beyond his years. The England U19 prospect struck four sixes in an eye-catching 38 off just 17 balls, briefly igniting hopes of a recovery. But his dismissal – caught at long-on off Overton – brought Essex’s innings to a close at 130 in 14.1 overs.
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The England Men under 19s are playing in a four day Test match at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground this summer!
They will face India Men under 19s, including 14-year old IPL superstar Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who became the youngest player bought in an IPL auction after being selected by Rajasthan Royals. He is also the youngest player to score a century in IPL history!
Day one will begin on July 20 with the final day concluding on July 23.
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