Result: Somerset 189-4 (19.2 overs. Myburgh 86*; T Curran 1-29 ) beat Surrey 186-4 (20 overs. Sibley 74*; Waller 1-18) by 6 wickets with four balls remaining
Johann Myburgh scored 86 off 53 balls and ended with an asterisk next to his name while his partner at the close Roelof van der Merwe made 39 off 26 balls; it was their partnership which finished on 84 for the fifth wicket that sealed the win for Somerset.
Chris Gayle’s early onslaught of 31 off 13 made sure that Somerset were always ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis par score, they reached their target with four balls to spare.
Somerset were rather underwhelming with the ball and in the field but managed to get away with this as Surrey only got to what was clearly a below par 186.
After being dropped by Jamie Overton at mid off, Jason Roy and Dominic Sibley took 30 off the third and fourth overs bowled by Craig Overton and Lewis Gregory.
Roy was caught at deep square for 28 off 17, but this only brought Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara to the crease. He pulled his first ball for four and carried on his merry way for a seemingly effortless 37 off 19. His dismissal brought the biggest cheer of the night so far, as Gayle, surprisingly not fielding at slip in this instance, caught Sanga well from mid off.
Surrey’s scoring never got up to the rate required for a decent score thereafter, Sibley batted well for 74* but struggled towards the end having strained his back trying to hit Jamie Overton over the Andy Caddick Pavilion. He surprisingly decided not to retire hurt though was clearly hampered by his injury, meaning the set man couldn’t provide the impetus Surrey needed at the back end of their innings to get up towards 200.
In Somerset’s reply, Allenby went early, but after his usual circumspect start, the Universe Boss went into Gayle force mode, though sadly it didn’t last as long as it did last Friday for the Jamaican. After hitting his fourth six into the Somerset stand, Gayle smoked a pull shot straight down his West Indian compatriot Dwayne Bravo’s throat. Bravo of course celebrated with his champion dance right in front of the most raucous Somerset fans.
This catch perhaps reminded captain Gareth Batty that he had one of the best T20 bowlers in his ranks yet to bowl. Cue next over, Bravo came on and swiftly had Trego given out caught behind off his shoulder, Somerset were reeling – bowler Gregory strolling out to the middle in just the fourth over.
Somerset went at exactly 10 an over for the first 10 overs – their 100 making them nine runs ahead of where Surrey were at the halfway stage.
The diminutive Johann Myburgh took a leaf out of Gayle’s book, hitting consecutive sixes off schoolboy Sam Curran. Gregory and Myburgh put on 73 for the fourth wicket. Replacing Hildreth in the eleven Myburgh proved his doubters wrong in bringing up his third successive white ball 50 before Gregory edged Sam Curran behind.
It was clear throughout the innings that Surrey were a bowler light due to the injury Sibley sustained whilst batting. This placed extra pressure on the young shoulders of the Curran brothers – Sam went at more than 10 an over returning figures of 3-31 off three whilst Tom took 1-29 off 3.2.
The 18th proved to be the deciding over, Rampaul being taken for 16 through the offside by van der Merwe, leaving Somerset requiring just 13 to win off the last 12 balls.
For once it was a small man not the big man who won it for Somerset, Myburgh cutting for four to take Somerset to 189 and win the match.
Somerset’s next home game is on Wednesday 15th June vs Glamorgan whilst Surrey’s next Blast game sees them play Middlesex at the Oval next Friday.
