Essex v Somerset
Vitality Blast
Lord’s Cricket Ground
Team News:
Essex: Feroze Khushi, Dan Lawrence, Michael Pepper, Robin Das, Paul Walter, Matt Critchley, Daniel Sams, Will Buttleman (wk), Simon Harmer (c), Shane Snater, Sam Cook.
Somerset: Tom Banton (wk), Will Smeed, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Tom Abell, Sean Dickson, Lewis Gregory (c), Ben Green, Roelof van der Merwe, Josh Davey, Matt Henry, Jack Brooks.
Match Details:
Umpires: Ben Debenham & Surendiran Shanmugam
Match Referee: Alec Swann
Toss: Somerset won and elected to bowl
Result: Somerset won by 7 wickets
Scorecard: View Here
Match Highlights:
Match Reaction: Robin Das
Match Report:
Essex fell to a rare defeat as Somerset’s batting strength came to the fore, blitzing a chase of 188.
Earlier, slumping to 15-3, Robin Das and Paul Walter dragged Essex back into the game with a 94-run stand. Das hitting a career best 71 from just 39 balls and furthering his position as this seasons breakthrough for the Eagles.
But Somerset ended Essex’s five-game winning streak by chasing down 187 with 21 balls to spare to move two points clear at the top of the group.
Smeed and Banton took on the 187 target with the intent of finishing the match in a hurry, the pair smashing 64 in 5.2 overs.
Somerset were only on 11 after two overs before Smeed took Shane Snater for three successive legside sixes in a 23-run over, and then Paul Walter was taken for 15 with both batters helping themselves to maximums.
Smeed’s 16-ball 36 salvo ended when he toed to mid-on, but that breakthrough didn’t pause the onslaught as Tom Kohler-Cadmore peppered Hayes Close with three sixes and 21 off Matt Critchley.
Kohler-Cadmore cleared the press box but Simon Harmer had him caught next ball and Banton – who had reversed an outrageous six – was leg before to Sam Cook for 42.
Sams returned two for 22 in yet another impressive performance from the Australian Overseas, but Abell and Dickson eased Somerset over the finish line with plenty still in the tank.
Essex had been stuck in and were three down inside three overs.
Jack Brooks returned from his loan at Nottinghamshire for his first Somerset Blast appearance of the season and has Feroze Khushi caught at deep point and Dan Lawrence skying – boasting two for eight after his first two overs.
New Zealander Matt Henry took the first of his three wickets when Michael Pepper edged behind.
But Das and Walter got the hosts out of their 15 for three hole with two differing ways to bat aggressively – the pair putting on 94.
Walter took the aerial route with five sixes – starting with a pair of pulled before towering over cover, slog sweeping Roelof van der Merwe and then reaching his 26 ball fifty by clubbing a full toss over cow corner. He chased to point next ball to fall for 51.
Das showed off his touch play with some beautiful timing in his 11 fours, although showed the occasional muscle with two sixes over long on. His second T20 fifty came in came in 31 balls before unleashing to end up 72 off 39 balls.
He pinged Henry to long on which began a tricky period for the Eagles, losing their last five wickets for 43 runs in 31 balls.
Van der Merwe bowled Daniel Sams – before very publicly dislocating and attempting to relocate his finger – Will Buttleman gave Henry three for 24, Simon Harmer was unlucky to be run out backing up, Shane Snater run out chasing a second and Matt Critchley caught at short third after an enterprising 30.
