160/3 (16.2)
CR : 9.80
158/10 (19.4)
CR : 8.03
Somerset won by 7 wickets 🏆
Player of the Match
W Smeed
59(29)
Somerset need 5 runs off 24 balls.
16.1
2
Delano Potgieter to James Rew
Around the wicket. Fuller and angled into the batter. Eased down to long-on for a double.
16.2
4
Delano Potgieter to James Rew
FOUR RUNS! James Rew finishes things with a boundary! Short and down the leg. The batter shuffles towards the leg stump and helps it on its way to deep fine leg for a four. Somerset start their title defence with a comprehensive victory.
Over 17
Somerset 160/3
James Rew47(29)
Thomas Rew14(15)
Delano Potgieter0-19(1.2)
SOM won by 7 wickets
1:43 AM IST, 9:13 PM Local time: Somerset began their title defence in emphatic fashion, outclassing Hampshire by seven wickets with 22 balls to spare.
Earlier, Somerset produced an excellent bowling display in the second half of the innings to bowl out Hampshire for 158 runs in 19.4 overs. After being invited to bat first, Hampshire got off to a decent start through Toby Albert and skipper James Vince, who added 32 runs for the opening wicket. Vince led from the front with a fluent 58 off 34 balls, while Delano Potgieter chipped in with a valuable 24 towards the end to push the total past 150.
However, Somerset kept striking at regular intervals and never allowed Hampshire to build momentum after Vince’s dismissal. Craig Overton and Jake Ball starred with three wickets each, while Daniel Sams picked up two scalps.
In reply, Somerset chased down the total with 22 balls to spare. The foundation of the chase was laid by Tom Banton (30 off 23) and Will Smeed, who added a blistering 90-run opening partnership in just 7.3 overs. Smeed stole the show with a destructive 59 off 29 balls, smashing six boundaries and four sixes at a strike rate of over 200.
Although Hampshire managed to pick up a few wickets in the middle overs, Somerset never lost control of the chase. James Rew anchored the innings superbly with an unbeaten 47 off 29 balls, while Thomas Rew remained unbeaten on 14 to guide the side home in 16.2 overs.
For Hampshire, Scott Currie picked up two wickets, while Liam Dawson claimed one scalp, but the bowlers struggled to contain Somerset’s aggressive batting lineup throughout the chase.
Earlier, Somerset produced an excellent bowling display in the second half of the innings to bowl out Hampshire for 158 runs in 19.4 overs. After being invited to bat first, Hampshire got off to a decent start through Toby Albert and skipper James Vince, who added 32 runs for the opening wicket. Vince led from the front with a fluent 58 off 34 balls, while Delano Potgieter chipped in with a valuable 24 towards the end to push the total past 150.
However, Somerset kept striking at regular intervals and never allowed Hampshire to build momentum after Vince’s dismissal. Craig Overton and Jake Ball starred with three wickets each, while Daniel Sams picked up two scalps.
In reply, Somerset chased down the total with 22 balls to spare. The foundation of the chase was laid by Tom Banton (30 off 23) and Will Smeed, who added a blistering 90-run opening partnership in just 7.3 overs. Smeed stole the show with a destructive 59 off 29 balls, smashing six boundaries and four sixes at a strike rate of over 200.
Although Hampshire managed to pick up a few wickets in the middle overs, Somerset never lost control of the chase. James Rew anchored the innings superbly with an unbeaten 47 off 29 balls, while Thomas Rew remained unbeaten on 14 to guide the side home in 16.2 overs.
For Hampshire, Scott Currie picked up two wickets, while Liam Dawson claimed one scalp, but the bowlers struggled to contain Somerset’s aggressive batting lineup throughout the chase.
Player of the Match: Will Smeed
Will Smeed (POTM): "[Must have enjoyed that?] Yeah, that was great fun. It's always amazing playing at home, and starting with a win is great for us.
[So at halftime, what did you make of the target you had to chase?] I think if you’d offered us that at the start, we’d have snapped your hand off for it. We bowled really well, and to restrict them to that score, especially considering the quality in their batting lineup, was a great effort. We knew taking wickets throughout the innings would be important, and I think the guys executed their plans really well — especially considering it’s the first game of the competition and we’ve had to switch quickly from the red-ball stuff into this format.
[How do you switch so quickly in this period of time?] Yeah, I missed out on the last couple of Championship games, so I had a few extra days compared to the others to put in some work and get some practice in. Luckily, it paid off today.
[On chat with Banton] Yeah, I love batting with him. It’s great to have him back. Obviously, he’s been travelling around the world, but I think we know that if we give ourselves a bit of a chance at the start and play strong shots, we can take the game from there. Once you get on top and build momentum, it becomes really hard for the opposition to stop it.
[On batting approach] I think it was about staying positive and putting them under pressure, while still backing our proper cricket shots — especially during the powerplay when the field is up. It’s always a great wicket here and you can trust the bounce, so it was just about being clinical in that approach."
[So at halftime, what did you make of the target you had to chase?] I think if you’d offered us that at the start, we’d have snapped your hand off for it. We bowled really well, and to restrict them to that score, especially considering the quality in their batting lineup, was a great effort. We knew taking wickets throughout the innings would be important, and I think the guys executed their plans really well — especially considering it’s the first game of the competition and we’ve had to switch quickly from the red-ball stuff into this format.
[How do you switch so quickly in this period of time?] Yeah, I missed out on the last couple of Championship games, so I had a few extra days compared to the others to put in some work and get some practice in. Luckily, it paid off today.
[On chat with Banton] Yeah, I love batting with him. It’s great to have him back. Obviously, he’s been travelling around the world, but I think we know that if we give ourselves a bit of a chance at the start and play strong shots, we can take the game from there. Once you get on top and build momentum, it becomes really hard for the opposition to stop it.
[On batting approach] I think it was about staying positive and putting them under pressure, while still backing our proper cricket shots — especially during the powerplay when the field is up. It’s always a great wicket here and you can trust the bounce, so it was just about being clinical in that approach."
That’s all from our coverage, folks! Somerset kick off their campaign with a comprehensive victory over Hampshire. For now, it’s me, Deepak Prakash, signing off on behalf of scorer/analyst Sachin Yadav. CHEERS!