Somerset Pull Off Record Chase Against Hampshire To Claim T20 Blast Title

Will Smeed, pinch nan thief of immoderate late-night umpty from Sean Dickson and Lewis Gregory, carried Somerset to a thrilling triumph successful nan T20 Blast Final, arsenic they hauled successful a record-breaking run-chase against Hampshire that 1 infinitesimal hushed nan crowd, nan adjacent had them roaring each pin shot into nan stands.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Smeed arsenic nan fume from nan ceremony fireworks drifted into nan night. “I was looking astatine nan target, and we knew we could do it, we backmost our boys further down nan order, which makes a immense difference. They said they’d do it for maine and they did.”

Smeed’s 94 disconnected 58 balls ever kept Somerset successful nan hunt, moreover aft Tom Kohler Cadmore, successful sparkling form, was bowled by an 88mph yorker by Sonny Baker, backmost successful nan limelight aft his England debut. And moreover successful nan tricky mediate overs and arsenic nan timepiece ticked down.

Sean Dickson, successful his past white-ball crippled for nan nine earlier his move to Glamorgan, recovered his quarter-final touch aft being dropped by Currie connected seven. And Lewis Gregory’s 18 successful 5 balls sealed nan woody pinch an complete to spare to bring Somerset their 3rd Blast trophy – level pinch Hampshire and Leicestershire.

“We did it nan difficult way,” said Gregory – but nary 1 cared if Blast finals time hasn’t sewage nan cache that it erstwhile had pinch nan emergence of nan Hundred and franchise tournaments information nan world, past nary 1 astatine nan crushed had told nan enthusiastic if occasionally dishevelled crowd, belting retired a succession of stadium anthem specials, aliases nan players whose despair, joyousness aliases fury was shown connected nan large screen, and who played entertaining cricket complete eleven hours.

Toby Albert anchored Hampshire’s innings pinch a 48-ball 85. Photograph: Craig Brough/Action Images/Reuters

It was nan extremity of a difficult week for Hampshire, who were deducted 8 points for an unfit transportation to put them successful relegation threat successful nan County Championship, and learned that they would suffer nan services of their caput coach, Adrian Birrell, aft 7 years astatine nan club.

It had looked their crippled to suffer astatine nan halfway shape aft James Vince, pinch his accustomed casual rakishness, and Toby Albert, touch-perfect arsenic befits nan Blast’s starring tally scorer successful 2025, gave Hampshire a blazing commencement successful a business of 97. They had some slotted fifties successful their aforesaid complete from Lewis Goldsworthy – Vince’s 46th successful T20 Blast games – erstwhile Vince was caught.

James Fuller followed soon afterwards but Albert pressed nan accelerator, 4 times reversing his wrists and reaching nan rope, a whirlwind of trickshots until Gregory yet sent him connected his measurement for 85. Benny Howell kept up nan momentum and Hampshire vanished pinch nan 2nd highest people successful Blast history. But it wasn’t rather enough.

Earlier, Hampshire’s Australian Chris Lynn had flamed nan first T20 Finals Day 100 to ruin Northamptonshire’s hopes of repeating their quarter-final miracle. He moved from 78 to 108 successful nan abstraction of 1 devastating over, sending Lloyd Pope into a Hollies guidelines of ecstatic sombreros and swaying bananas pinch 5 successive sixes. He vanished 108 not out, hitting each 1 of Hampshire’s eleven sixes to transportation them to a six-wicket win.

Somerset had romped to a 23-run triumph successful nan first semi final, beating an underpowered Lancashire, pinch seasoned Jimmy Anderson but without England’s Luke Wood, Phil Salt, Jos Buttler and Saqib Mahmood, and overseas players Ashton Turner (back successful Australia) and Chris Green (at nan CPL). Lancashire’s pursuit of Somerset’s 182 had hinged connected Liam Livingstone, whose mimed disbelief erstwhile nan 3rd umpire upheld nan on-field lbw determination erstwhile he was connected 29 suggested a tickle of bat. Somerset’s fielding was fiery and erstwhile Lancashire retired retired George Balderson only for his replacement Tom Hartley to deed his first shot consecutive to agelong off, nan dice was cast.