Picture by Sarah Ansell, www.fotosport-online.co.uk Somerset ran out to celebrate their victory over Hampshire at the T20 Blast final. Will Smeed was the star of the show, with 94 off only 58 balls. This monumental knock contained 14 fours and a six, helping Somerset post an imposing total of 195 for four. Smeed’s brilliant individual display brought his team to victory, winning the game singlehandedly. It also represented a notable personal landmark for him—his 600th run in this year’s T20 Blast.
The final was held at the historic Edgbaston Stadium, with both teams hungry to claim victory. Smeed’s remarkable innings set the tone for Somerset as they chased down Hampshire’s target. He came up just one short of a 100. By comparison, his second dismissal—caught chipping a short ball from Scott Currie to James Vince at the long-off boundary—meant his team required 18 runs when he departed at the start of the 19th over.
Somerset’s innings was in addition aided by Toby Albert, scoring a fantastic 85 runs from 48 balls. His innings featured two enormous leg-side sixes, underlining his talent to score quickly without breaking a sweat. That made Albert the season’s highest run-scorer of the competition and it was his sixth half-century of the T20 Blast.
James Vince was central to Hampshire’s total with 52 runs. This match-winning performance carried him over the 500-runs mark for the season. In spite of everything that he tried, Vince was stranded on the edge, handing Hampshire a tough total. Sean Dickson’s 33 not out was particularly notable. On the flip side, Lewis Gregory provided a dramatic late push with two big sixes to help Somerset post their eventual target.
“I thought we did quite well to get to 194. Toby Albert and James Vince were outstanding then we had a little bit of a cameo at the back from Benny Howell, so you kind of think at halfway you’ve got a score and then for a long time during that innings we were in the game but we couldn’t quite just peg them back,” said Adrian Birrell, reflecting on Hampshire’s performance.
As Somerset came within a whisker of victory, they withstood howls of pressure but showed the superiority of their talent as a whole. The team’s composure under pressure has been a defining feature of their run this season. Every time we’ve been in a bind, somebody has gotten us out. We’ve got a team with guys who can win matches on their own and we’ve seen that over the past few games,” noted a source reflecting on Somerset’s resilience.
Smeed’s dismissal was a major disappointment, he had been the one carrying Somerset towards their target. Bowled by Lewis Gregory after backing away, he trekked off with his team still needing 242 runs. But it was Gregory’s all-around efforts that really locked this one up in the end for Somerset.
“Unbelievable, super chuffed for the boys, we did it the hard way again,” Gregory expressed after the match, highlighting the team’s determination and fighting spirit throughout the tournament.
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