Somerset easily defeated the Northamptonshire Steelbacks, needing just 148 balls to win this Metro Bank One Day Cup match at Wantage Road thanks to a dominant, brilliant 63 from Andy Umeed.
With six fours and two sixes in his 66 balls faced, Umeed and George Thomas (28) set a quick pace for Somerset’s run chase, reaching 50 off only 31 balls with a barrage of boundaries. Umeed was out with just twenty-one runs remaining, but James Rew and Sean Dickson took seven wickets to take them to victory.
Saif Zaib was the only player to get a century with 57 as Northamptonshire was bowled out for 155 in 38 overs during a rain-shortened game that was reduced to 49 overs each side. Josh Davey took two early wickets, but Lewis McManus (20) and Ricardo Vasconcelos (29) helped Zaib regroup.
However, when the lower order disintegrated, with the final four wickets falling for seven runs in four overs and all seven Somerset bowlers taking at least one wicket, thoughts that the Steelbacks may score more than 200 were quickly scuppered. With this victory, Somerset will feel more confident going into their Vitality Blast T20 quarterfinal match against this team next month.
With an early breakthrough, Somerset eliminated their opponent Prithvi Shaw, who had taken 244 off their assault in the match from the previous season. Shaw got off to a good start, hitting two boundaries in the first over before Alfie Ogborne caught him off guard.
Following his dismissal of George Bartlett, a former teammate from Somerset, Davey struck again in back-to-back overs. James Sales then played inside the line of a straight ball that struck the top of the off-stump, leaving Northamptonshire 33 for three at the end of the powerplay.
Vasconcelos assisted in pushing Northamptonshire over 50 by pulling Ogborne for two boundaries. However, he attempted the identical hit to a straight one after swiping a wide ball from Archie Vaughan for four, and was bowled, giving the offspinner his maiden senior wicket.
Rebuilding, Zaib and McManus scored 46 in 10.2 overs. After dragging Thomas from outside off-stump with another maximum, Zaib hammered Vaughan for six. When McManus defeated Vaughan by long-on, he also broke the tie.
However, two fast wickets came during the drink break. In the first over, McManus’ off stump was uprooted, and in the second over, Jack Leach bowled Gus Miller with a straighter delivery.
As expected, Zaib dismissed Leach for four to reach his half-century off 62 deliveries, but Northamptonshire’s joy was short-lived as their lower order collapsed.
First to go was Zaib, who tried to shove Lewis Goldsworthy over long-off for six but got caught in the deep. Ben Sanderson chipped a return catch back to Goldsworthy, Michael Finan was bowled after heaved at a ball from Riley Meredith and missed, and Freddie Heldreich was caught behind by Ogborne. Justin Broad, who finished 19 not out, offered some late fight.
Thomas faced Sanderson in the run pursuit, and the latter remarkably was unable to achieve his signature metronomic style. With a fluid drive, Thomas smashed Sanderson through midwicket and then flipped him over for a six.
While all of this was going on, Umeed was hitting Finan with beautiful cover drives and aggressive air strokes. He even carved a Sanderson free hit behind square for four runs and flicked the same bowler over deep square leg for six.
Vasconcelos produced a superb diving catch at short midwicket off Broad to end Thomas’s innings, but Goldsworthy (20) was soon up and running. Leaning into a wide delivery from Broad, he square drove Finan to the ropes and got off to a good start by cover driving him for four.
However, Broad claimed his second wicket when, with Somerset at 88 for 2, he trapped Goldsworthy in front leg before wicket.
Umeed, in the meantime, was in full flow, hitting Heldreich over deep midwicket for a massive six and casually drawing Sales for four to reach his half-century. Rew and Dickson finished off the victory as he was finally unable to see his side across the line and managed to eke out a catch behind Sales.
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