Cricket Dec 07, 2025

Vitality Blast Finals Day: Will Smeed helps Somerset complete record chase against Hampshire to claim victory

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
Vitality Blast Finals Day: Will Smeed helps Somerset complete record chase against Hampshire to claim victory

Will Smeed hit a brilliant 94 as Somerset completed a record Vitality Blast Finals Day chase to beat Hampshire by six wickets at Edgbaston on Saturday.

Chasing 195 for victory, Somerset's Smeed (94 off 58 balls) hit 14 boundaries to help his side get within touching distance before his captain Lewis Gregory (18no) hit a six over square leg to claim victory.

Gregory shared a match-winning 18-run partnership with Sean Dickson (33no) to get Somerset over the line with six balls to spare, posting 195-4 after winning the toss and electing to field.

Earlier, Hampshire's captain James Vince (52) and Toby Albert (85) put on a 97-run stand for the second wicket to help the Hawks to 194-6.

Somerset's Jake Ball was the pick of the bowlers, taking a sublime one-handed catch in his follow-through to dismiss Hampshire's James Fuller (1).

However, the Hawks struggled to take regular wickets, allowing Somerset to equal Hampshire and Leicestershire as three-time T20 Blast winners.

Somerset’s opener Tom Kohler-Cadmore (23) got his side off to a solid start, including hitting a huge six that flew out of the ground, before he was bowled by 22-year-old Sonny Baker (1-28).

Tom Abell (0) departed for a duck off James Fuller (1-20), and Scott Currie (2-44) removed James Rew (20) to leave Somerset 89-3.

Smeed then hit the Hampshire bowlers all over the ground, but Currie brought his brilliant cameo to an end too after he was caught in the deep by Vince, with Somerset still needing 18 runs off 11 balls.

Gregory then took matters into his own hands, hitting a four and two sixes to get the job done, as Hampshire struggled to find answers.

Chris Lynn, who scored the first-ever Vitality Blast hundred in the semi-final to help Hampshire beat Northamptonshire, was dismissed in the third over by Craig Overton (1-35).

Vince notched his 81st half-century in T20 cricket in his partnership with Albert as the pair helped Hampshire set a record total.

Jake Ball (2-39) took a brilliant one-handed catch in his follow-through to see the end of James Fuller (1).

Somerset spinner Lewis Goldsworthy (1-28) removed Vince, but Albert persisted, hitting 10 boundaries and two sixes in his 48-ball cameo before he was bowled by Lewis Gregory (1-30).

Ben Mayes added nine but was trapped leg-before by Ball, while Ali Orr (3) briefly chipped in before getting run out by Somerset’s Tom Abell off the final ball of the innings.

Watch England's second T20 against South Africa on Sunday, September 14 (first ball 2.30pm), live on SportNews Cricket.

Tags:

cricket news id:13430183

Share this article

Related Posts

Brendon McCullum insists England's best cricket is ahead of them after Ashes 'missed opportunity'

Brendon McCullum insists England's best cricket is ahead of them after Ashes 'missed opportunity'

Brendon McCullum has declared England's best cricket is ahead of them as they chart a route back from Ashes ruin this summer. In their first assignmen...

Women's T20 World Cup 2026: Wicked to bring West End magic to tournament opening ceremony at Edgbaston

Women's T20 World Cup 2026: Wicked to bring West End magic to tournament opening ceremony at Edgbaston

The 2026 Women's T20 World Cup is to get under way with a spectacular live performance from the cast of Wicked ahead of England's tournament opener ag...

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi breaks record for most sixes in IPL season with ridiculous 97 off 29 balls for Rajasthan Royals

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi breaks record for most sixes in IPL season with ridiculous 97 off 29 balls for Rajasthan Royals

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi fell agonisingly short of hitting the fastest century in IPL history but smashed Chris Gayle's 14‑year record for the most sixes...

Charlie Dean says England will do whatever it takes to 'keep winning' ahead of Women's T20 World Cup

Charlie Dean says England will do whatever it takes to 'keep winning' ahead of Women's T20 World Cup

Charlie Dean says England coach Charlotte Edwards has given her side a simple message to 'keep winning' ahead of the Women's T20 World Cup and their s...

Jacob Bethell: England all-rounder expected to be fit to play in first Test against New Zealand, despite finger injury

Jacob Bethell: England all-rounder expected to be fit to play in first Test against New Zealand, despite finger injury

Jacob Bethell is expected to be fit to play in England's first Test match of the summer against New Zealand, starting on June 4, after the all-rounder...

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi breaks record for most sixes in IPL season with ridiculous 97 off 29 balls for Rajasthan Royals

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi breaks record for most sixes in IPL season with ridiculous 97 off 29 balls for Rajasthan Royals

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi fell agonisingly short of hitting the fastest century in IPL history but smashed Chris Gayle's 14‑year record for the most sixes...