Vitality Blast: Somerset triumph on Finals Day with 14-run win over Essex in final at Edgbaston
Somerset edged out Essex by 14 runs to win the 2023 Vitality Blast, their first triumph in the competition for 18 years following their Finals Day win in 2005.
Somerset twice defended modest totals, of 142-7 against Surrey in the second semi-final and 145 all out in the final, with an inspired bowling effort from New Zealand pace bowler Matt Henry seeing them victorious.
Henry took 4-24 in the final, including the crucial last wicket of Daniel Sams (45 off 26 balls), albeit he owed a lot to Tom Kohler-Cadmore who took a spectacular diving catch at backward point to clinch victory.
Fellow Kiwi, leg-spinner Ish Sodhi (3-22) also chipped in with three vital wickets and captain Lewis Gregory (2-25) two. Essex, who exploded out of the blocks by smashing 27 from the first two overs, then suffered an almighty top-order collapse of five for 28.
Somerset’s Kasey Aldridge pulls off an amazing catch to dismiss Essex’s Adam Rossington
Kasey Aldridge kick-started the collapse by taking a terrific reflex catch at point to dismiss Adam Rossington (19) after he’d just fired three-straight boundaries off Henry.
Sams recovered the innings and had a willing partner for a period in Paul Walter (26 off 24), before he became one of three late victims to Sodhi.
Sams smashed three sixes to briefly raise hopes of an Essex comeback win before Kohler-Cadmore’s stunning grab ended proceedings and clinched a memorable second blast win for Somerset.
There was controversy in the Vitality Blast T20 Final between Somerset and Essex as Matt Critchley’s catch to dismiss Lewis Gregory was given not out after a review
How Somerset reached the final
Watch the best of the action from Edgbaston as Somerset beat Surrey by 24 runs to reach the Vitality Blast Final
Craig Overton, Matt Henry and Ben Green took three wickets apiece as Somerset’s disciplined bowlers defended 143 to beat Surrey by 24 runs in the day’s second semi-final.
Sean Abbott’s 4-23 had earlier restricted Somerset to 142-7 in rain-reduced to 19-overs-a-side clash, with Sean Dickson top-scoring with an unbeaten 30 off 22 balls.
Wicketkeeper Jamie Smith produced a standout moment, taking a stunning one-handed catch to dismiss Somerset captain Lewis Gregory (9).
But the target proved too great for Surrey as they lost a steady stream of wickets to ultimately be bowled out for 118 in 16.5 overs, with Overton (3-24), Matt Henry (3-19) and Ben Green (3-15) all pitching in with three wickets.
Tom Curran top-scored for Surrey with 22, while Jason Roy (13), Smith (19), Jamie Overton (11) and Chris Jordan (16) all got in and got out – the only batters to score double figures.
Craig Overton can claim bragging rights over twin brother and former Somerset team-mate Jamie as he claimed the catch on the long-on boundary to dismiss him.
How Essex reached the final
Watch the best of the action from the first semi-final at Vitality Blast Finals Day as Essex beat Hampshire Hawks by five wickets on DLS
Hampshire’s bid to become the first side to retain the Vitality Blast title was ended by belligerent cameos from Daniel Sams and Matt Critchley that carried Essex into the final.
Joe Weatherley’s 63 not out off just 39 balls, plus Ben McDermott’s 29 off 12 and Benny Howell’s 22 off 11 at the top and back-end of the innings respectively lifted Hampshire to a score of 170-7 from their 20 overs.
Essex’s target was then reduced to 115 off 12 overs after an hour’s rain delay early into their chase but upon slipping to 54-4, Sams belted 29 off 17 before Matt Critchley starred to see the side home.
With 13 needed off the final over, Critchley – the pick of Essex’s bowlers earlier with 2-22 – thumped the first delivery of Nathan Ellis’ over for six before Simon Harmer did likewise two balls later to wrap up a five-wicket win on DLS .
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