Craig Overton stars as Somerset hand Hampshire vengeful defeat
Somerset 75 for two (Banton 40) beat Hampshire 74 (Overton 3-8, Green 2-11) by eight wickets
Revenge was candy for Somerset as seamers Craig Overton and Matt Henry led them to a crushing eight-wicket Vitality Blast victory over reigning champions Hampshire Hawks at sun-drenched Taunton.
Beaten in final season’s semi-finals by the identical opponents, the hosts dominated from the beginning after profitable the toss, Overton claiming 3 for 8 from 4 overs and Henry 2 for 19 from three to depart the Hawks 27 for five.
The Blast title holders by no means recovered and have been bowled out for 74, their lowest ever T20 whole, in 16.1 overs, Ben Green taking 3 for 11 and Lewis Gregory 2 for 13, whereas Overton added 4 catches to his heroics with the ball.
It was a ruthless show by the Somerset seamers, backed by some razor-sharp fielding. In reply, the hosts breezed to 74 for two off simply 9.3 overs, Tom Banton smiting 40 off 24 balls.
Overton and Henry gave the impression to be attempting to outshine one another when the Hawks innings started in entrance of a packed crowd, each sustaining wonderful line and size.
Sam McDermott fell to the final ball of Overton’s opening over, caught two-handed to his left by Tom Kohler-Cadmore at slip.
It was 9 for two when Henry struck along with his first supply, bowling James Vince between bat and pad with a ball that nipped again. The New Zealand Test bowler then had Joe Weatherly caught at mid-on by Overton off a skyer to make it 12 for 3 within the fourth over.
By the tip of the six-over powerplay, the Hawks have been in disarray at 26 for 3. Their plight worsened when Overton had Tom Priest caught behind trying to tug a brief ball.
Overton notched his third sufferer in the identical over as Toby Albert was additionally snaffled by wicketkeeper Banton, going laborious at a large supply.
Albert had scooped a six off Henry, but it surely was a uncommon second of defiance from the Hawks as Overton produced 17 dot balls in bowling his allotted 4 overs straight by way of from the River End.
Rightly impressed by his opening assault, Somerset skipper Tom Abell didn’t make a change till the eighth over, which noticed Peter Siddle change Henry.
Ross Whiteley hit fours off successive balls from Gregory and Liam Dawson pulled a a six off Green as Hampshire briefly threatened a restoration.
But, having helped take the rating to 57, Dawson fell to a different Overton catch, this time at effective leg off a scoop, and Scott Currie went in the identical Gregory over, the twelfth of the innings, bowled off a backside edged pull shot.
Whiteley had reached his aspect’s high rating of 18 when caught by Kohler-Cadmore, diving ahead at long-off, having made first rate contact with a Green full toss.
At 61 for 8, the Hawks have been down and out. Chris Wood was pouched by the diving Overton at mid-off off Green, who accomplished the rout by having Nathan Ellis, who had taken 13 off Henry’s closing over, caught at long-on by the identical fielder.
Somerset’s big-hitting batting line-up have been by no means more likely to fret chasing such a paltry whole and Banton quickly signalled his intentions to finish the match early by clearing the ropes with a ramp shot off Wood within the third over.
A scoop off Ellis introduced the England T20 worldwide one other boundary, adopted subsequent ball by a clip by way of the leg aspect for 4. Will Smeed was caught at quick third man for five in the identical over, however by the tip of their energy play, Somerset have been comfy at 37 for 1.
Banton launched one other six over mid-wicket off Dawson earlier than being stumped in the identical over chasing a large one. Kohler-Cadmore (18 not out) received off the mark by smashing the spinner over vast long-on for a most and by then the end result had lengthy been past doubt.