Somerset
Blast Game 3 Back to Hove for Sussex
By Grockle
June 6 2025
On to Hove with 2 wins in the bag to face Sussex for the third time in the season. Somerset are unchanged from the side that beat Essex last Sunday in Chelmsford. Somerset have won the toss and will chase once more.
The image is courtesy of Alain Lockyer. Many Thanks Mr L
Blast Game 3 - v Sussex @ Hove Friday 6 June 2025
Somerset are unchanged for the third game of the 2025 Blast. The side is;
Will Smeed, Tom Lammonby, TKC (w), Tom ABell, Thomas Rew, Lewis Gregory (c), Ben Green, Lewis Goldsworthy, Craig Overton, Matt Henry, Riley Meredith
Somerset have won the toss and will bowl first as they have done in all the games so far in this T20 season. Ward and Hughes will face and the first over will be bowled by Craig Overton. Ward faces the first and gets a bottom edge four from the first. Harrison Ward is heaving across the line a little for a starting bat in a 20 over game. Daniel Hughes is at the other end and they are know to be an aggressive opening pair.
With 8 off the first - mostly 'streaky' according to the commentary, Matt Henry takes the second from the 'sea' end. It's 15 after two with more solid shots being played mostly by Hughes. But in the third the overseas Hughes chases a wide one and he is caught behind at 17 for 1 for 8 individual runs from 8 balls. In comes Simpson to face the two balls to finish off the third.
Riley Meredith is the first change for the fourth over and he's loose with his first couple of balls but tightens up as the over goes on. He's bowling over the wicket to the left handers and isn't getting his line right. He finally gets through the 8 ball over (2 wides). But his last ball cramps Ward for room and he plops it up to Craig Overton for 14 at 27 for 2. Not a great over but a decent result from the visitor's point of view. This brings the in form Coles to the crease.
Overton is tight in the 5th and goes for 3. Craig is the highest catch taker presently playing in the Blast with 70 to his name (he's ahead of Tom Abell and then Sean Dickson). Henry replaces Meredith and has Coles first ball of his second as he skies one to Gregory . 29 for 3 as Alsop replaces him in the middle and completes the 'powerplay' with 36 for the loss of 3 wickets.
Gregory starts his bowling with the 7th and he then introduces the spin of Goldsworthy for the 8th at 40 for 3. The 50 arrives from his 4th ball. Spin may not be an option on the small boundaries of Hove to be honest. There doesn't seem to be much for the slow man on this pitch. He goes for 17. Gregory continues with the 9th. Simpson produces the first six of the evening with the 4th of the over and is starting to look dangerous once again (as her usually does against us). It's 72 for 3 as Green comes on for the 10th. The 50 partnership arrives at the end of the over and Sussex start the second half of their innings at 81 for 3.
Matt Henry takes the 11th and at the end of it, Alsop goes courtesy of a thin edge for 23 at 92 for 4. TKC is not looking at all bad behind the stumps to be fair. Simpson has 39 from 29 as his next partner Clark arrives and Overton will bowl out from the other end as he takes the 12th. COve does not take a wicket but he only goes for 17 runs so he has done his job tonight.
Riley returns for the 13th from the Cromwell Road end to Clark. A dragged four takes Sussex beyond 100 and a consecutive one takes Simpson to 49 at 106 for 4. He then passes 50 from 35 deliveries with 5 fours and 1 six. Ben then takes the next and he nearly has Clark skying it but Meredith doesn't quite get there and drops it at 112 - spiralling and difficult but he got skin on it.
After 14 it is 117 for 4 as Meredith continues - he is not bowling at all well tonight I'm afraid. It's suprising that he is continuing but there is no real alternative at the moment unless the skipper looks to Lammonby as the other two options to finish the innings are Gregory and Green. He will probably not want to use Goldsworthy again with Simpson still there. With 5 to go Sussex have 126 for 4 and must be looking at something near 170 which seem to be the par score at Hove.
Gregory returns for the 16th and he gets Simpson who is caught by Will Smeed actually on the boundary as the Sussex bat was trying for a six. 133 for 5 with the big man gone for 58 from less than 50 balls. The new man is Carson. Henry takes the first of the last four overs at 136 for 5. Carson tries to launch him down the ground but puts it in the inevitable hands of Craig O and he goes for 0 at 136 for 6 as Henry has a hat-trick ball across 2 overs. McAndrew, the Aussie, squirts it out to get off the mark. Henry finishes with 3 for 29. Another excellent performance. Somerset have 8 minutes to get through 2 overs. Green takes the first and Henry nearly runs out McAndrew with the first ball but kicks it past the stumps when it was harder to miss!! A good over in a rush. But they may still pay the price for a slow over rate.
Gregory takes the penultimate one. His third ball sees Clark caught by Overton for 21 off 22 to bring in Ollie Robinson at 147 for 7. The 150 arrives with 7 balls left of the innings. Not as many as Sussex hoped for. Gregory finishes with 2 for 40. Somerset pay for the slow rate and have fewer men out as Meredith takes the last one. McAndrew and Robinson fight to push the score up but Riley uses the slower ball to fool McAndrew who drags the ball on for 20 at 159 for 8 bringing skipper Tymal Mills to the crease to face 2 balls. After these (and a wide) Sussex finish on a Mills driven four at 166 for 8.
Somerset need 167 to stay unbeaten.
The Reply
Ollie Robinson starts to will Smeed with 2 fours in the first 3 before Smeed leaves a big gap and is bowled through the gate at 8 for 1 as his off stump is removed. TKC comes in to finish the first over and Currie opens at the other end to the left handed Lammonby. It's 20 for 1 after the second before TKC hammers the first of Robinson's next into the stands to mark up the first six of the innings. With a sketchy four and another massive six Somerset move to 18 for 1 and Kohler-Cadmore has 22 from 9.
The Sussex skipper takes the next and consecutive fours by Tom Lammonby at the end of it moves Somerset past 50 to 52 for 1. McAndrew takes the fifth and the home side need a breakthrough. They don't get it early and a 'reverse lap' to the short boundary for six moves the visitors on to 59 for 1. They are presently going at 11 an over.
Ollie Robinson changes to the Cromwell Road end to finish the 'powerplay'. He's presently going at more than 10 an over and it continues as TKC takes consecutive fours to move the total needed below 100. After the 'Powerplay' Somerset are 68 for 1 with TKC on 33 from 20 and Tom Lammonby on 23 from 12. MIlls continues at the Sea end and has gone for 22 from his 2 as well. 76 for 1 after 7.
Carson starts by taking the next one and then the spin of Coles comes into play and his first goes out of the ground literally from TKC!! The ball is replaced and Coles comes back quite well to keep the score to 91 for 1 with Tom KC on 48 from 31. It is hard to see how the home side can win this without bowling the visitors out now as Somerset are going at 9.96 runs per over while they need 6.94 to win.
Both the bats are hitting the loose stuff and taking few risks. However, Lamminby backs away from Carson but he misjudges it and skies it. He's caught in the infield by Coles and goes for 35 from 22 at 97 for 2. In comes Tom Abell to move his side to the halfway point. 10 overs for 98 with the loss of 2 wickets. They need 69 from 60 with 8 wickets in hand on the downside of the innings.
TKC moves to 50 from 33 with 5 fours and 3 sixes as he takes his county to 100 for 2. Mills is keeping faith with Coles, 103 for 2 as Carson starts the 12th which goes for 9. TKC seems to have pulled something and is kind of hobbling about and he is dropped at the start of the next one by Coles off the bowling of McAndrew as he doesn't move his feet while wafting at a widish delivery. He's certainly not too mobile presently.
The runs required goes under 50 in the 13th with a pick up six from Abell which is also out of the ground. With 7 to go it is 124 for 2 needing 43 more from 7 overs. Just over a run a ball is needed as the Sussex skipper bowls to Abell who puts him to the rope. By the end of the over Somerset need far fewer than a run a ball though Mills does bowl TKC for 64 from 43 with the 5th at 133 for 3. Thomas Rew finishes the over and they need 34 from 36. Some good experience for the young man after not much of a first innings against Surrey. He gets off the mark and then confidently drives for four off Carson. With 5 to go they need 25 from 30.
Mills continues - why not he has little to lose. A good last over from the skipper and Somerset move to 145 for 3. McAndrew takes the 17th and an edged four from Abell makes it easier as the 150 comes up and just 16 more are needed. Rew puts the third one nearly out of the ground to take the total to 9 needed. Rew tries to ramp and Mills had it in his hand but dropped it as he hit the ground. 8 to win from 18 as Coles takes another. Only six needed after the first and after 2 from the next, only four needed then 3, then 2 and Abell finishes on 36 (25) with a lofted four to win by 7 wickets with 2 overs in hand. Thomas takes 17 run not out from 14 balls including his first professional six.
Another comfortable win. Well played TKC and Matt Henry
Digg
Delicious
Facebook
Reddit
Stumbleupon06/06/2025 18:48
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:06:11:22:31:07 by Grockle.
Smeed, Umeed, Lammonby, TKC, Abell, Gregory, Green, Goldsworthy, Rew T, Overton, Davey, Henry, Meredith, Leach
No Tom Banton who seems to be watrching England for most of the Blast!! No named MIgael Pretorius for this one.
One would assume that unless there are injuries, the side will be pretty much unchanged. With Pretorius not named iot seems unlikely that any of the main strike bowlers will be rested.
Smeed and Lammonby seem to be settling into a partnership at the start. TKC will keep and be at 3. Gregory, Abell and Green seem pretty much set, especially after Bens rerturn to some batting form at the end of the Essex game. Thomas Rew will remain as he has not exactly featured, except in the field, in the games so far. Lewis Goldsworthy will still be the spin option one would imagine.
This means Andy Umeed, Josh Davey and Jack Leach will be missing out tomorrow
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Smeed, Lammonby, TKC (w), Abell Rew T, Gregory, Green, Overton, Goldsworthy, Henry, Meredith
Somerset have won the toss and will field first.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:06:06:21:33:43 by Grockle.
Seven wicket margin with two overs to spare against a team that had won its first two games.
I only followed this online but it looked like Somerset kept the Sussex batters in check and were then always ahead of the game in the chase, even after losing Smeed.
Very, very good so far.
(And as I'm also a fan of Bath Rugby this was a very good evening for me!)
Good to see TK-C bashing them around, along with solid efforts by Tom's L & A.
Mr Rew Jnr can certainly hit the ball as well, which bodes well.
Grizzers
Just as well they will have Tom Banton and James Rew back from England ODI and England Lions duties respectively. Rotating key players will plainly be the key, with the likes of Josh Davey and Jack Leach also handily in reserve.
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
More Somerset headlines
- Metro50 Game1 - Welcome to the next stage - Notts at Welbeck
- Blast Finals Day Semi 1 - It's Northants Again!!
- Blast Quarter Final Here We Go at Headingley
- Blast Game 12 - Simple Beat the Pears!!
- Women's Blast Game 12 - Fanx Tara Towie
- Blast Game 11 - Northants Part 2 - Gregory Back?
- Women's Blast Game 11 - Blazing Away\!!
- Blast Game 10 - Derby to the Wire as well
- Women's Blast Game 10 - Down to the Wire v Essex
Somerset latest threads
- Metro50Game 3 - Sunday v Warks
- Poll: 2026 Best Blast Player
- Poll: Best CC1 Player Part 1
- Metrobank 50 Game2 - Home Derby
- Members online forum - the future of SCCC
- Metro50 Game1 - Welcome to the next stage - Notts at Welbeck
- Blast Finals Day Semi 1 - It's Northants Again!!
- RIP the GREAT Gary Sobers
- Metro50 NOT "Developmental" by choice
- Blast Quarter Final Here We Go at Headingley