Tom Banton, Roelof van der Merwe to the fore as Somerset keep 100% file
Somerset 154 for six (Banton 54, Douthwaite 3-26) beat Glamorgan 153 (Byrom 42, van der Merwe 3-24) by 4 wickets
Big-hitting Tom Banton posted a high-octane half-century as Somerset comfortably beat Glamorgan by 4 wickets in an entertaining Vitality Blast contest on the Cooper Associates Ground in Taunton.
Banton dominated a gap stand of 69 with Will Smeed and went on to make 54 from 28 balls, his highest rating of the marketing campaign, to assist propel the cider county to victory with 5.1 overs to spare in entrance of a close to full-house crowd.
Somerset received the toss, elected to discipline and produced a disciplined efficiency to bowl Glamorgan out for 153 in 19.4 overs, thanks largely to Roelof van der Merwe‘s return of three for twenty-four from 4 overs. He was properly backed-up by Lewis Gregory and Peter Siddle, who took 2 for 14 and a couple of for 29 respectively, whereas Craig Overton held three catches.
Former Somerset batsman Eddie Byrom top-scored with 42 and added 50 for the second wicket with Kiran Carlson, who made 31, however Glamorgan then misplaced 9 wickets for 82 runs and didn’t bat out their overs.
Now high of the desk following Surrey’s defeat by the hands of Sussex, Somerset stay the one facet within the South Group to boast a 100% file, whereas Glamorgan have received one and misplaced one beneath new head coach Mark Alleyne.
Put into bat on a superb pitch, Glamorgan made a good begin due to Byrom and Carlson, who staged an aggressive half-century stand in 5.5 overs. Perhaps with some extent to show in opposition to his former county, Byrom adopted a long-handle strategy, hitting Matt Henry for a six and two fours in three successive balls within the second over. He then deposited Siddle over midwicket for an additional towering six because the Welsh facet achieved lift-off.
Overton served up a wicket maiden to take away Sam Northeast for two, held by Tom Lammonby at third man, however Carlson appeared the half as he claimed a brace of sixes off the identical bowler, one a scoop over nice leg, the opposite a extra orthodox affair excessive over long-on.
Glamorgan had been 57 for 1 on the finish of the six-over powerplay, however got here beneath stress as spinner van der Merwe and seamer Ben Green turned off the hitherto prepared provide of boundaries. Attempting to brush van der Merwe, Byrom missed and was trapped lbw, having scored 5 fours and two sixes. Gregory then struck together with his first supply, Carlson caught within the deep by Tom Abell.
Taking full benefit of their double breakthrough, Somerset utilized the squeeze, Gregory persuading the damaging Colin Ingram to hit to deep midwicket for 13 and van der Merwe having Ben Kellaway held at long-on as Glamorgan slipped to 100 for five within the thirteenth over.
Chris Cooke carved 18 runs from 16 balls to threaten a Welsh revival, solely to fall to the returning Henry, who had him caught at long-on. When Dan Douthwaite was dismissed in similar style off the bowling of van der Merwe, the guests had been 129 for 7 within the seventeenth over and in peril of falling quick.
Billy Root made 18 from 16 balls however perished by the hands of Siddle, whereas Ruaidhri Smith skied a catch to further cowl off the bowling of Green. New abroad recruit Peter Hatzoglou smashed 15 off eight balls earlier than hoisting Siddle to Overton at long-on because the guests had been dismissed with two balls unused.
Banton afforded Somerset’s chase a super-charged begin, plundering three fours and a six from successive balls in an over from Australian leg spinner Hatzoglou that went for 23 runs. Not to be upstaged, Smeed drove down the bottom with rising fluency because the openers raised 50 in 3.5 overs to grab the initiative.
Having contributed his highest rating of the marketing campaign and performed his half in a whirlwind opening stand of 69 in 5.5 overs, Smeed drove Douthwaite straight to mid-off, departing for a 14-ball 28. By the tip of the powerplay, Somerset had been 72 for 1 and the required charge was down to five.9.
Nevertheless, Tom Kohler-Cadmore was in no temper to hold about and the previous Yorkshire man smashed Smith for consecutive sixes over long-on and midwicket earlier than chancing his arm as soon as too typically and holing out to backward level for 19 later in the identical over.
There was no stopping Banton, nonetheless, the right-hander going to his first Blast fifty of the season through 26 balls. Having set-up a profitable chase, he was unable to complete the job, hitting Douthwaite to mid-off within the tenth over, by which period he had amassed 9 fours and a six and Somerset had been 116 for 3, requiring an extra 38 runs at slightly below 4 an over.
Lammonby got here and went shortly, however Abell and Gregory eschewed pointless threat in a fifth-wicket partnership of 25, which took the house facet to the brink of victory. Abell was bowled for a 17-ball 22 and Gregory went for 11, leaving Green to strike the successful runs.