Somerset beat Glamorgan by four wickets in their match in the Vitality T20 Blast at Taunton. (writes Andrew Hignell)
The Welsh county made two changes from the team which defeated Gloucestershire on Friday, with Peter Hatzoglou and Billy Root replacing Timm van der Gugten and Prem Sisodiya. After being put in to bat, Eddie Byrom and Sam Northeast began the Welsh county’s innings with the former, as at Bristol, starting with an early boundary to the mid-wicket ropes before the latter was dropped by Tom Lammonby at backward point. Matt Henry shared the new ball and was hoisted over mid-wicket for six by Byrom before ramping the Kiwi to fine-leg and flat-batting him through extra-cover. But next over and with the total on 21, Lammonby made amends for his earlier miss as, at third man, he safely pouched an upper cut from Northeast.
Kiran Carlson joined Byrom who also launched Peter Siddle over wide long-on for another maximum before the visiting captain nurdled the veteran Australian to the third man boundary. Byrom then inside-edged Overton to fine-leg before Carlson scooped him to long-leg for a huge six followed by a forearm jab for six over long-on as the fifty came up after five overs. He celebrated by flaying Siddle through point for four, before Byrom flicked Ben Green to fine-leg for another four to bring up the 50-stand, but next over Byrom departed l.b.w. attempting to reverse-sweep Roelof van der Merwe.
Having been joined by Colin Ingram, Carlson unfurled a wristy cover-drive for four against the spinner but next over - with the total on 79 - he swatted Lewis Gregory into the hands of Tom Abell at deep point. With Chris Cooke as his new partner, Ingram delicately nurdled Gregory to third man before square-cutting him through point for another boundary. But the Abell-Gregory combination struck again next ball as the home captain, who was patrolling the mid-wicket boundary, completed his second catch.
Five runs later Ben Kellaway chipped van der Merwe into Overton’s hands at long-on as Somerset continued to squeeze the visiting batters. Root was the new batter and he clipped Ben Green to fine-leg for four before Henry returned to the fray and was drilled over wide long-off by Cooke who perished next ball as he also lofted a ball to Overton at wide long-on. Dan Douthwaite began with a top-edged four before miscuing a full toss from van der Merwe into Henry’s hands at long-off as Glmaorgan slipped to 129-7 as the spinner ended with 3/24 from his four overs. Six runs later Root clipped a low full toss from Siddle to Abell at mid-wicket before Ruaidhri Smith miscued Green into Gregory’s hands at mid-off. Hatzoglou then scooped Green for four to fine-leg before thick-edging Siddle for four but next ball he clubbed the bowler to Overton at mid-on as Glamorgan ended on 153.
Carlson opened the bowling and was lofted to long-on by Tom Banton before being straight driven for another four by Banton. Hatzoglou was then pulled for three by Will Smeed before being on-driven for four and six in successive balls by Banton followed by a reverse-sweep for four and a pull for another four. Smeed then straight drove Smith’s first ball to the ropes at long-off followed later in the over by another well-timed on drive for four as the Somerset fifty came up after 23 balls. Banton then on-drove McIlroy for four before Smeed biffed Douthwaite over backward square-leg for six. But next ball Smeed miscued a drive to Ingram at mid-off with Somerset ending the powerplays on 72/1 with Tom Kohler-Cadmore making his way to the middle and cover-driving Hatzoglou for four. He then dispatched a full toss from Smith for six over wide long-on followed by a second six into the flats overlooking the ground. But later in the over Kohler-Cadmore skewed another expansive drive into Ingram’s hands at backward point.
Having been joined by Abell, Banton unfurled a pair of reverse-sweeps against Hatzoglou before completing a 26-ball fifty followed by a pull for four against Douthwaite but the all-rounder made the perfect riposte as Banton holed out to mid-off. Two balls later Kellaway at fine-leg held a tumbling catch to remove Lammonby before Abell swept Hatzoglou for four as the equation became 31 from nine overs. Abell then flicked Douthwaite to mid-wicket for four before cover-driving Kellaway for four but Smith returned and bowled Abell with a beauty. Gregory responded by swatting Smith for six before being caught by Northeast at deep mid-wicket as he tried to end the game by hitting a full toss from McIlroy into the Pavilion. Green then pulled McIlroy for two as Somerset reached their target after 14.5 overs.