Somerset avenged their defeat last Friday at Cardiff by comprehensively defeating Glamorgan by 64 runs in sweltering heat at Taunton in their sell-out contest in the Friends Life t20.
The Welsh county welcomed back Marcus North to their side after his absence against the Steelbacks following a recent family bereavement, with the Australian opting to bowl first after winning the toss. The home side were without their captain and prolific batsman Marcus Trescothick, so it was Chris Jones and Craig Kieswetter who opened the batting for the West Country as Nick James and Michael Hogan opened the bowling.
Jones began by cover driving James before Kieswetter did the same twice to Hogan as well as hoisting the seamer over mid-wicket for six. Kieswetter then got a thick edge against Graham Wagg which sped away for four to third man before harpooning him high over mid-wicket for another six. Jones then got in on the six-hitting lofting Alex Jones' first ball over long-off before drilling the next through extra cover.
Kieswetter then pulled Jones for four as the 50 came up after 23 balls but the return of James ended his merry spree as he jaywalked down the wicket and was deftly stumped by Mark Wallace. Peter Trego came in and immediately pulled Nathan McCullum for four before lofting him over long-on for six as Somerset raced to 70/1 at the end of the powerplays.
One run later Wagg took a fine diving catch at cover to pluck out of the air a drive by Jones in Cosker's first over. The helter-skelter pace dropped as Nick Compton and Trego then worked the ball around for one's and two's before Trego lofted James for successive fours as the 100 came up in the 11th over., before the all-rounder flat-batted McCullum over cover for four. He then miscued another expansive drive and was caught by Wagg as Somerset became 111/3 in the 12th over.
Four runs later Cosker bowled Compton who played a stroke his illustrious grandfather would not have approved. The spinners kept things tight and in a bid to up the tempo Jamnes Hildreth opted for the aerial rout only to deposit McCullum into the hands of Jones at deep mid-wicket with the total on 127. Craig Meschede then drilled James for a straight six followed by another over deep extra-cover. After a scampered single, Buttler lofted the spinner for another six over long-on which together with five wides and other singles cost 27.
Further furious singles plus the infamous ramp shot then followed from Buttler as his speciality stroke saw him loft Hogan for four and six from successive balls, followed by four to mid-wicket and six over long-off. He then flat-batted another four in the final over from Wagg before lofting him for six over mid-wicket. Buttler then drilled the penultimate ball to Hogan at mid-off, before the last ball of the innings sped away for four byes as Somerset ended on 199/6
Needing to score at ten an over, and to chase 200 for the first time in their history in the competition, Wallace and Jim Allenby opened the batting and took just a single off a frugal opening over from Trego before adding a further brace of singles plus an on-driven four by Allenby in Yasir Arafat's first over. Allenby then pulled Steve Kirby for six before. Allenby then pulled Arafat to long-leg for four before lofting Alfonso Thomas' first delivery over square-leg for six. He then nurdled Thomas to third man before lofting him over extra cover, followed by another booming off-drive as the fifty came up in the sixth over.
Allenby greeted the introduction of Waller's leg-spin by lofting him straight for six to complete a 29-ball fifty, but to the last ball of the over Wallace miscued to Buttler at cover. 73/1 then became 75/2 as Chris Cooke edged Meschede into Kieswetter's gloves. Allenby responded with leg-side fours off the seamer but in attempting another lofted drive against Waller he holed out at long-on.
94/3 then became 97/4 as Murray Goodwin departed in the same manner. Three runs later a slower ball saw Trego bowl Wagg before North pulled Waller for six. But the spinner then took a superb caught and bowled as the visiting captain drilled a ball straight back towards him. 108/6 then became 111/7 as Waller at point took another stunning catch diving full length to catch McCullum.
James and Cosker then worked the ball around before the former was caught at mid-wicket as Arafat returned for the last two at the New Pavilion End. Cosker then swatted Arafat for six before Thomas had him well caught on the mid-wicket boundary by Hildreth. Arafat then ended the game in the 19th over as he bowled Jones to give Somerset victory by 64 runs and to leave a dent in Glamorgan's previously very healthy run rate.
