Match Details
R(B) | 4S | 6S | SR |
---|---|---|---|
3 (3)0 (0) | 0 0 | 0 0 | 100.00 0.00 |
W-R | Overs | Econ |
---|---|---|
0-11 | 1.1 | 9.43 |
Chasing a below-par score of 151, the Kiwi pacer Matt Henry caused some early troubles and pushed the Essex Eagles on the backfoot with some exceptional swing bowling. Henry first dismissed the gloveman Adam Rossington 6(5) in the second over of the chase. Robin Das went on an onslaught in the 3rd over and thumped Craig Overton for three boundaries but Henry once again brought Somerset back into the contest by removing the right-hander for 17(12).
Michael-Kyle Pepper soaked up the pressure and counterattacked but the wickets kept tumbling at the other end as Peter Siddle got better off Matthew Critchley 4(9) right after the powerplay. Reeling at 49/3, the right-hander Pepper took matters into his own hands and brought the resurgence to the Essex innings. Pepper tried some innovative shots and kept toying with the field.
Pepper registered a ferocious half-century but the Somerset bowlers kept striking at regular intervals. Roelof van der Merwe ceased Pepper’s progress and outfoxed him on 63(43) at a crucial juncture in the contest. Reeling at 105/6, skipper Simon Harmer got together with Daniel Sams and gave Essex a glimmer of hope by stitching a 25-run partnership for the 7th wicket but the Kiwi Matt Henry had the woods over Harmer 16(13) and the Eagles could never recover. Matt Henry (3/17) and Ben Green (3/24) picked up three wickets each while Roelof van der Merwe also scalped a couple of breakthroughs.
Earlier in the day, after being invited to bat first, Will Smeed spearheaded the innings alongside Tom Lammonby in the absence of Tom Banton. The left-handed Lammonby took the aggressive route straightaway in the contest and exploited the field restrictions. The right-handed Will Smeed also tried to join the assault but he holed out for 1(3) in the process. Tom Kohler-Cadmore was the next batter in and he too played some relentless cricket.
Lammonby and Kohler-Cadmore aggregated 27 runs for the second wicket before the Aussie quick Daniel Sams deceived Lammonby 34(23) with a brilliant slower delivery. Skipper Simon Harmer soon dismissed the dangerous Kohler-Cadmore 17(10) with an exceptional catch off his own bowling. Following the departure of Kohler-Cadmore, the Essex bowlers were successful in drying up the boundaries as Somerset completely went off the right track.
The right-handed Tom Abell succumbed to pressure and threw his wicket away after a scratchy 12(15). Somerset kept losing wickets at regular intervals and could never recover after early pyrotechnics. Sean Dickson, on his Somerset debut in T20 Blast, amassed a crucial 42(29) and gave the bowlers something to uphold. The left-armer Sams was the pick of the bowlers for the Eagles and finished his stint with the figures of 4/20. Simon Harmer also bagged two important wickets and was the vital cog in the collapse of Somerset.