Vitality Blast Finals Day 2023: Surrey collapse and Somerset put in faultless bowling display to book place in final
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Surrey have won the toss and will bowl first against Somerset in the second Vitality Blast T20 Finals Day semi-final at Edgbaston. The start has been slightly delayed due to the rain which has loomed over Birmingham throughout the day.
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Hide AdBoth sides will have 19 overs to bat at Edgbaston. Sam Curran opened the bowling, Tom Banton and Will Smeed at the crease.
With the final ball of the first over Banton got a genuine edge which burst between Jamie Overton and Jamie Smith- it ran away for 4. Gus Atkinson took the ball from the Birmingham End and he saw Smeed top edge him for 6. Somerset 18-0 from 2 overs.
Smeed and Banton had their team off to a good start, after 4 overs they reached 37-0. Sean Abbott bowled the 5th over and he thought he had Smeed who feathered behind. Umpire said no, so Surrey went upstairs. The edge confirmed and Somerset were 38-1.
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Hide AdSomerset reached 50 i the 7th over in style. Tom Banton ramped the ball away for 6 off a full toss from Atkinson. The next ball Tom Banton edged behind and, after a TV umpire review, was given out. 55-2 and Banton was gone for 26, this brought Tom Abell to the crease joining Tom Kohler-Cadmore.
In the 10th over, Kohler-Cadmore was sent on his way when a thick outside edge shot up into the sky was well held by Laurie Evans. Somerset 73-3 and Sea Dickson came to the middle.
Dickson cut a lovely shot through to third man for a much needed 4 in the 12th over. Abell was then bowled by Sam Curran trying to hit the ball into the leg-side. 86-4 and Somerset were in some trouble. 88-4 after 12 overs with 7 left for Somerset to face.
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Hide AdSomerset's 100 came up thanks to a Tom Curran no ball. They had just over 5 overs to set Surrey a tough target. A huge 6 behind leg from Dickson got the Somerset fans on their feet.
Chris Jordan bowled the 15th over and he removed Gregory- a big sweep was edged and Jamie Smith took a superb catch behind the stumps.
Abbott came back into the attack and he took his third wicket with a fairly easy caught and bowled of Ben Green. Somerset 115-6 in the 16th over. Craig Overton was next in and he got off the mark with a superb drive down the ground for 4. Another boundary came from him edging down the leg-side but then he was gone. Abbott's 4th victim was sent packing thanks to a superb catch from Sam Curran. Abbott finished on 4-23 with 11 dot balls.
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Hide AdSurrey's bowling was tight and disciplined, restricting Somerset with some clinical displays.
With 1 over left in their innings, Somerset moved onto 134-7, with number 9 Matt Henry facing up to Chris Jordan first. Jordan was as impressive as ever to restrict Somerset to 142-7 from their 19 overs.
Surrey innings
Will Jacks hit the first ball of the innings for 4, but Somerset made a breakthrough. Craig Overton bowled Laurie Evans for a second ball duck- Surrey 6-1 after the first over.
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Hide AdJason Roy looked in good form and he quickly moved into double figures with two trips to the boundary. His important wicket fell in the 4th over and the bounce got the better of him. It looped high into the sky, and Dickson gathered. 20-2. Sam Curran was the new man in.
The next over, Surrey lost their 3rd and Will Jacks was caught out on the Hollies stand boundary. 24-3 and Surrey were wobbling. Jamie Smith joined Sam Curran in the middle.
Surrey's wobble turned into a mini collapse in the 8th over when Curran drove the ball straight to Henry at mid-on. 38-4 and still 105 needed to win.
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Hide AdSurrey brought up their 50 in the 9th over, the London side were finding it hard to score on this Edgbaston pitch. Ben Green then struck again and Smith fell for 19 leaving Surrey 57-5 and in very big trouble.
Jamie Overton tried to go big but he was caught at long-on by his twin Craig- 68-6 now Surrey. Tom Curran pulled a 6 which breathed some life into Surrey's innings.
Surrey captain Chris Jordan came in and hit two huge maximums to drag his team towards 100. Surrey needed a partnership, and Jordan and Curran were giving them one.
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Hide AdHowever, like so many other times in this one, Surrey lost a wicket at the wrong time. Jordan tried to go big, but his effort fell short and Smeed kept hold. 95-7 and Sean Abbott to the middle.
Tom Curran was the next man to walk. His slog into the deep was caught and he went for 22- Surrey 102-8. Cameron Steel became Surrey's 9th wicket and the score slipped to 108-9. Gus Atkinson was the last man in.
Atkinson out- Somserset win by 24 runs.
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