Somerset
Blast Game 12 - Post Henry Kent
By Grockle
July 11 2025
No Matt Henry tonigh as he has gone back to the Southern Cross area to meet up with his international NZ mates. So we will look a little different tonight at Canterbury. Migael Pretorius, Jake Ball and Jack Leach are in the squad to fill the very big gap in some form or other. Based on other results this week, we need one more win to confirm a home Quarter Final in 2025.
Blast Game 12 v Kent @ Canterbury Friday 11 July 2025
The squad for this game does not include Matt Henry as he has returned home for international duty. So the following players are looking for a first XI berth tonight
Banton, Smeed, TKC, Lammonby, Abell, Dickson, Gregory, Green, Goldsworthy, Overton, Pretorius, Meredith, Leach, Ball
Not sure how the side will replace Matt Henry but it will probably be the case that Migael Pretorius, Jake Ball and Jack Leach will all play in one of the last three games in order to make sure they are eligible for Finals Day by having appeared in the group stages. Should we get the one win we need for a guaranteed Quarter Final, it might also be the case that Alfie Ogborne, Kasey Aldridge, Thomas Rew, James Rew and even Josh Thomas or Archie Vaughan might be seen in the last games just to cover all the bases.
It will be hot and dry tonight, there might be some condensation abouot the pace which might make the thought of Jack tonight a possibility. If not then one would expect the choice to be a straight one between Ball and Pretorius for the Henry berth and the rest of the batting remaining the same leaving Lammonby sitting it out again.
Team info at 6pm
Jake Ball gets the nod so the side is;
Banton, Smeed, TKC, Abell, Dickson, Gregory, Green, Goldsworthy, Overton, Ball, Meredith
The Boss has won the toss and we will field first. Bell Drummond is out with a hamstring Wes Agar is in for Kent.
Out they come in brilliant sunshine. I doubt Somerset will miss DBD in the opposition. Overton will start and they'll want to see Muyeye going back soon but Harry Finch is no slouch either. Overton does the job first ball as he bowls Muyeye with a middle stump 'jaffa'. Slightly slower ball fooled him and it seems he has had a hair cut as well!! 1 for 0 and Joe Denly is in for ball 2.
The over is a bit of a mixed bag and they finish with 11 as Riley Meredith takes the second. 173 is the par it seems. Finch will not see that though because he gets full straight fast one and loses his off stump at 13 for 2 With a ball to go in the second, captain Billings is in. He gets a single off his first.
Overton then bowls to Denly and Billings who will be looking to settle and bat a long time in this game. Billings has won games from us in the past and we would like to see the back of him early. They have moved to 18 by the end of his second. But there is then a bit of a wait as Tom Banton is with the physio and he has left the pitch for treatment it seems and TKC is padding up to take over as keeper. Something to do with a left hand issue of some kind it seems.
Meredith will take the fourth. once Tom KC have got on what seems like THREE pairs of gloves!!
The 5th ball of the 4th from Meredith has Sam Billings not moving his feet and he is plumb in front LBW at 26 for 3 for 11 from 11. Riley finishes that one with 2 for 11.
Jake Ball bowls the first over for Somerset this season as he takes the 6th and he almost gets new man Benjamin caught and bowled. At the end of the 'Powerplay' Kent have 41 for 3 and Gregory has the 7th as his first.
Goldsworthy takes the next from the Knackington Road end as Kent are looking to push past 50 at 47 for 3. Denly takes his side over the 50 to 53 with a one bounce straight four off the 4th ball. Lewis Jr goes for 7 off his firsst and it is 54 for 3 after 8.
Ball's 2nd takes his total to 17 and Kent's score to 60 for 3 after 9 as Denly and Benjamin look to make a partnership in the second half of this game. Goldsworthy takes the next, sees Benjamin going outside his stumps. He looks to sweep but Lewis has seen him and targets the leg stump. Bemnjamin is bowled for 20 (off 18) at 60 for 4 and the halfway point arrives at 65 for 4 with Denly on 29 and Jack Leaning on 2.
Ben Green comes in for the first time for the 11th and finishes it with 7 runs from it to bring the score to 72 for 4. Goldsworthy is trusted with the 12th and Denly takes a six from him and it moves to 82 for 4 as the 12th ends. Gregory goes for 10 from the next to 92 for 4 with 7 to go and Overton returns to bowl out presently having gone for 19. He finishes with 1 for 26 at 99 for 4.
Ben takes the 15th and sees Kent past 100 before he gets Denly looking to push it on and sending the ball to Tom Lammonby at 102 for 5. He goes for 40 from 34 and out comes the last recognised bat in Evison. 103 for 5 at the end of it as Meredith returns.
The last ball of his over at 109 , Evison looks to pull the bowler but he only finds Lammonby and it is 109 for 6. Evision departs for 5 and in comes Klaassen. But the game is delayed and the umpires take the sides off until the sun has moved.
We then have a 'sun stopped play' bit as the sun causes problems in that its angle causes difficulties. So we wait a bit.
Leaning and Klaassen return to the middle at 8pm with 4 overs to go and one would suggest that Kent are short of a total presently. Green bowls the 17th and we have seen Banton with plaster on the index finger of his left hand so he may not bat. Presently it is hoped that we may not need him. He goes for 6 and it is 115 for 6 with 3 to go.
At 117 for 6 Meredith bowls out with an excellent 3 for 19 leaves Kent at 117 for 6. Jake Ball takes the 19th and its a mix of stuff including some lovely variation which ends with Leaning trying to get to the other end but Jake follows the ball picks it up and breaks the stumps at the non strikers end and it is 122 for 7. Leaning goes for 37 from 30.
In comes Wes Agar who hits Ben for six to Cow Corner off his first ball. The next is a single folowed by another to move to 130. Agar looks to pull the ball, he gets a snick and TKC takes the catch and he goes for 7 at 130 for 8. In comes Nathan Gilchrist and the last ball he sends that for six and they finish on 137 for 8. Nathan didn't know much about it but Somerset need 138 for a home quarter final!!
The Reply
Klaassen bowls to Smeed and TKC (not Banton)as Somerset's opening partnership. Will Smeed hits his second into the pizza queue.
Agar takes the second over and fools TKC with his 4th ball wihich he just offers up to Finch to depart for 2 and Sopomerset are 10 for 1. Surprisingly in comes Lewis Goldsworthy because of course the order has had to be re-jigged, With his partner they move through and they have reacvhed 36 without further loss by the end of the 5th over. By the end of the 'Powerplay' bowled by Gilchrist, they are on 45 for 1 with Smeed on 31 from 23 and Goldsworthy on 9 from 8.
Parkinson is introduced for the 7th and Lewis moves the visitor's score to 50 with a straight four. However, the Kent man gets his eye in and Goldsworthy holes out on the boundary for 14 from 12 at 52. He is caught by Muyeye which brings Tom Abell out to the middle.
Tight Kent bowling means that by the 9th they have only moved the score on to 58 and the pressure shows as Tom Abell calls Will through and some excellent fielding see him out of his ground when the stumps are broken at 58 for 3. He goes for 36 from 30 (4 fours and 1 six) and all the Kent guys congratulate Denly for some excellent fielding. In comes Sean Dickson and the new pair move the score to 62 for 3 at the haklkfway point. Not as easy as it seemed one would say!!
It doesn't get easier when Sean Dickson is LBW for 4 from 7 to Evision in the 12th to bring Gregory to the crease at 73 for 4 still needing 65 runs. It's 92 for 4 after a straight four from the skipper ends the 14th over. 46 needed from 36 balls.
The 100 arrives in the 15th and we end it at 105 for 4. With 30 balls left we need 33 runs with Lewis on 18 from 14 and Tom A on 28 from 21. Agar takes the 16th and cool heads are required. This game is most definitely not over yet but a six into the flats makes it a little less uncertain from the Somerset skipper. At the end of the over it is 24 from 24 at 114 for 4.
Klaassen takes the 17th and the singles keep coming. Gregory again makes it easier with a six to the midwicket boundary and it is 16 from 21. The 50 partnership comes up from 32 balls and the over ends with the score having moved on to 129 for 4 with 15 off the over and 9 needed for victory from 3 overs. Gregory has hit 37 fro 22 and Abell has contributed 31 from 25.
Gilchrist takes the 18th and he takes Gregory's wicket at 130 for 5 for 37 from 23 with 2 fours and 3 sixes.
Out comes Ben Green requiring 9 from 15. By the end of the over they need 5 from 12 balls. Agar bowls the 19th and a Green four ties the scores. They take a quick single and that is it with 9 balls to spare. Tighter than expected but still a win!! Always good to beat Kent!!
A home quarter final then people with 2 games to spare - not a bad campaign all in all
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:07:13:10:59:37 by Grockle.
They will be without Zak Crawley and Jaydn Denly, away on England Test and England Under 19s duty respectively, and also experienced all-rounder Grant Stewart, who is representing Italy in the ICC T20 World Cup qualifying competition. However, Chris Benjamin has recovered from a dislocated shoulder.
Squad: Billings (c), Agar, Bell-Drummond, Benjamin, Joe Denly, Evison, Finch. Gilchrist, Klaassen, Leaning, Muyeye, Parkinson, Rogers.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:07:09:11:35:52 by Grockle.
Squad: Banton, Smeed, Kohler-Cadmore, Lammonby, Abell, Dickson, Gregory (c), Green, Goldsworthy, Overton, Pretorius, Meredith, Ball, Leach.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:07:10:15:23:21 by cricketjerry-mouse.
Rest Banton and play James Rew in the next one I'd say then you get him in for the finals if required. As we've now got out home QF maybe test others for September. Thomas Rew? Josh Thomas? Kasey (if he hasn't already played) Play Jack and Miggy P (if he hasn't already played) possibly Archie and Alfie so we have a full complement for the Finals if we get there.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:07:11:21:41:21 by Grockle.
Somerset has the most points, the most wins and the highest NRR in either division (though I still think that was a flaky batting performance today).
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:07:11:23:45:41 by sfwithers.
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