Somerset keep hopes alive with victory over Northants

Somerset keep hopes alive with victory over Northants

Somerset still have a T20 Blast quarter-final chance after an easy home win over Northants.

Having won the toss and chosen to bat, Northants lost Richard Levi early to Craig Overton, Babar Azam catching him at deep square leg. Paul Stirling was not at his usual destructive best, reaching 25 before hitting straight to Max Waller at long off.

Young Lewis Goldsworthy took his first wicket with his left-arm spin, a young Roelof van der Merwe you could say. Josh Cobb struck three fours off an early van der Merwe over, but in truth struggled from 30 on, before eventually falling for 49. His struggles forced Adam Rossington to go for the big shot before he was ever in. No partnership got proper strike rotation going tonight.

A sensational bit of fielding from Craig Overton in his follow through saw him swooping and underarming at the stumps to run out Luke Procter, who was attempting a cheeky leg bye, and after that only Saif Zaib reached doubles figures.  

Waller and Van der Merwe going for just 24 and 27 respectively off their full allocation showed how they tied down the Steelbacks in a rather underwhelming innings from the away side.  

Northants started well in defence of their 140. Babar Azam fell lbw to the second strong shout of his short-lived innings. Two overthrows helped him to four, Nathan Buck the bowler.

Will Smeed was soon after caught at third man by Nathan Buck running in and diving, Ben Sanderson the bowler, out for one. 

Steve Davies got going with some sumptuous drives off front and back foot through the offside. When he fell lbw to Procter for 45 on 83-3, Somerset may have started to feel slightly jittery.   

Though they had no real reason to fear, yet. In-form Tom Lammonby walked out to the crease at 81-3, knowing he simply had to knock the ball around in the middle overs and stay there with his red-ball skipper. Just seven an over was required.

Northants then grew frustrated and weary, bowled some freebies and the Somerset pair cashed in.  

The first six of the innings came from Lammonby, smoked over cow corner off Graeme White in the 16th. He avoided a close stumping call when attempting a reverse sweep later in the over, but it was otherwise plain sailing for the Somerset pair. 

In the end Lammonby overtook his senior partner, striking three sixes over the leg side, including the final blow onto Gimblett’s Hill to win the game with two overs to spare. He finished 43* off just 23 balls, Abell 42*.

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