Smeed leads Somerset to emphatic victory over Derbyshire

Will Smeed put Essex to the sword Getty Images

Somerset 214 for 6 (Smeed 89, Andersson 3-33) beat Derbyshire 187 for 7 (Donald 65, Sams 3-29) by 27 runs

Somerset kept their slim hopes of reaching the Vitality Blast knock-out stages alive with a convincing 27-run victory over Derbyshire Falcons at the OurCoop County Ground in Derby.

Will Smeed's superb 89 including six sixes off 51 balls took the holders to 214 for 6 with Martin Andersson taking 3 for 33 for the Falcons.

Aneurin Donald threatened to pull off a memorable chase with 65 off 27 balls but after he fell to Craig Overton, Somerset bowled with impressive discipline to restrict the Falcons to 187 for 7, Daniel Sams finishing with 3 for 29.

In only the second T20 game between the teams, Smeed and Thomas Rew took 61 from the powerplay before two wickets in consecutive overs slowed their progress.

Thomas Rew was bowled by an Andersson slower ball for 39 off 22 balls and his brother James top edged a sweep at Sufyan Moqim.

After 10 overs, Somerset were 88 for 2 and the Falcons were building pressure until Tom Kohler-Cadmore launched Jack Morley for successive sixes in the 12th over.

Smeed reached 50 from 33 balls and celebrated with a big six over wide long on off Moqim and another off Potts in the 16th over.

He launched Potts for another over midwicket and drove the seamer over cover for a third maximum in the over before Kohler-Cadmore missed a big swing to end a stand of 94 from 47 balls.

The over, which included three wides, cost 28 but Smeed's hopes of a hundred ended in the 17th when he missed a big drive at Moqim.

Andersson took two wickets in the19th but Overton gave the innings a final flourish by hitting the last two balls for four.

The Falcons needed a big response from Donald and he did not disappoint by blasting five sixes in an18 ball 50.

Jake Ball bowled Andersson but Donald was the one Somerset wanted and Overton delivered when he had him caught at deep midwicket off the last ball of the powerplay.

Somerset started to squeeze the hosts and the pressure told as Harry Came pulled Daniel Sams to backward square before Matthew Montgomery swung Ball to deep midwicket.

The rate climbed to above 15 an over and the Falcons fading hopes ended when Sams yorked Wayne Madsen in the 18th over

Derbyshire 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st45AHT DonaldMK Andersson
2nd29AHT DonaldHRC Came
3rd36WL MadsenHRC Came
4th14WL MadsenM Montgomery
5th37WL MadsenRA Whiteley
6th4RA WhiteleyMYB Naeem
7th22RA WhiteleyN Potts

Twenty20 Cup (England)

Central & West Group
TeamMWLPTNRR
NOR972280.557
GLO954200.024
SOM945160.193
WAR94516-0.005
WOR94516-0.585
GLA93612-0.171
Cross Pool
TeamMWLPTNRR
NOR22083.425
GLO22082.825
WOR22082.525
SOM22081.669
GLA22080.777
NOT22080.496
DUR21142.325
WAR21141.772
LEI21140.117
SUR21140.05
HAM2114-0.674
ESS2114-3.04
DER2020-0.908
LAN2020-1.5
YOR2020-1.564
KEN2020-2.434
SUS2020-2.51
MID2020-3.278
North Group
TeamMWLPTNRR
YOR962261.215
NOT963240.213
LAN95322-0.121
DUR945160.1
DER925120.421
LEI9278-1.835
South Group
TeamMWLPTNRR
SUR963241.098
HAM963240.504
ESS954201.019
KEN94516-0.562
MID93612-1.012
SUS93610-0.964