Cricket Brilliant Banton secures emphatic win for Somerset
A PYROTECHNIC century from Tom Banton helped Somerset coast to a 10-wicket Vitality Blast win over Kent Spitfires at Canterbury.
Banton produced his maiden Somerset ton and his highest ever score across all formats, producing an almost chanceless knock which included seven sixes, while Devon Conway stood at the other end admiringly and chipped in with an unbeaten 51, as Somerset chased down their target with 4.2 overs remaining, closing on 169 for nought.
Fog swept across the ground for much of Kent’s innings, but if anything it made visibility more difficult for the fielders and had largely cleared by the time Somerset batted.
Lewis Gregory took 4-27 and Craig Overton 2-40 as Kent posted 168-8. Zak Crawley was their top scorer with 39, while Joe Denly made 36.
Somerset won the toss and chose to field in ever-thickening mist, but it didn’t seem to affect their eyesight as Kent’s first seven dismissals were all caught.
The hosts made a strong start before Daniel Bell-Drummond was out for 28, giving a return catch to Overton with the final ball of the powerplay, leaving Kent on 53-1.
Crawley was taken by Max Waller at deep midwicket off Gregory, who then had Denly caught by Marchant De Lange on the long-off boundary. Blake skied Overton and was held by a tumbling Gregory for 19 and Jack Leaning holed out to De Lange, caught by Tom Lammonby for five.
Darren Stevens was snared for eight by Conway off Jack Brooks and Adam Milne made just one when he hit Gregory to Will Smeed. Qais Ahmad hit his wicket trying to scoop Gregory, before Matt Milnes hit a four with the final ball of the innings, leaving Jordan Cox unbeaten on 16.
As the mist cleared, Somerset cantered through the powerplay to 73 without loss, aided by some ordinary fielding. Banton hit Fred Klaassen for six over fine leg to bring up his 50, passed both his previous highest Blast score of 71 and red-ball score of 79 and reached his century with a single off Milne.
Conway tied the scores when he drove Milnes for two reach his 50 and an almost silent St. Lawrence crowd watched Kent subside to their first home Blast defeat of the season, when he glanced the same bowler for a single to backward square leg.