Somerset roll back years to seal place at Finals Day
Somerset (209-5) beat Nottinghamshire (190) by 19 runs
It was the most entertaining quarter-final in the Vitality T20 Blast, because it was staged on the truest batting pitch and the highest-scoring, and at times the old county ground swayed with a capacity crowd of 7,500 like the good old days of Viv and Joel, Beefy and scrumpy. Even so, the finish, was not close as Somerset beat Nottinghamshire Outlaws by 19 runs.
Two main differences separated the teams. One was Somerset’s Lewis Gregory, who had a blinder as batsman (unbeaten 60 off only 24 balls), bowler (Somerset’s tidiest figures with brisk medium-pace) and fielder (a sharp catch at extra cover to dismiss Alex Hales) as well as being a calming skipper.
The second difference was in tactical nous. Somerset were behind at the end of the powerplay – only 46 for two off six overs, whereas the Hales-driven Outlaws were to be 59 for one – but the home side increased their impetus with the aid of local knowledge.
Taunton’s square boundaries are long, to make up for the short straight ones, and without major risk Somerset gained the upper hand by pushing the ball towards long-on and deep midwicket, and running two. James Hildreth led this merry caper, with Tom Abell his athletic partner. Hildreth reached his 50 off only 27 balls, scoring two off 15 of them.
Gregory then joined Abell and took his aggregate in T20 this season to 321 off 146 balls. In striking five sixes, Gregory lost two balls over wide long on. Gregory also benefited from the liberality of the umpires in calling no-balls for height. Harry Gurney was noballed a second time and removed from the attack in the 18th over for a full toss that would surely have hit a thigh pad, had it not been hit for four: not above waist height.
MCC intends to review this law in the autumn and should change it: two full tosses not remotely dangerous do not constitute a sufficient basis for banning a bowler.
Hales set off like a train, hitting four fours in a row off Jamie Overton. Every boundary was greeted by silence, every dot-ball brought applause. Hales pulled anything just short of a length, and so long are his levers that when he stepped back he scythed Overton’s wide yorkers for four.
Then the second difference. Notts began hitting to deep midwicket like Somerset did, but the visiting batsmen tried to hit sixes – instead of pushing twos – and one after another were caught in the deep, either by Max Waller or Abell, who redeemed himself for dropping Hales on 35. Overton was Somerset’s fastest bowler but had the figures of a slow leg-spinner – five for 47 from his four overs.
It was the last home game of Johann Myburgh, who is retiring – but not until after T20 Finals Day at Edgbaston on Sept 15, when Somerset are joined by Lancashire, Sussex and Worcestershire.