Second XI T20: Northants Steelbacks v Somerset
Somerset fell to a five wicket defeat to Northants Steelbacks in the Second XI T20 competition at Campbell Park today.
Northants won the toss and elected to bowl.
Fin Hill and Seb Linnitt (12) shared an opening stand of 32 before the latter was caught by David Willey off the bowling of Dom Leech from the final ball of the fifth over.
The score had moved to 44 when Kian Roberts was caught behind off Liam Guthrie without scoring.
With the scoreboard showing 49 for two in the eighth over, rain began to fall and play was halted.
The game resumed after a 30-minute delay and the score had advanced to 61 when Hill fell for 36 to the opening delivery of the 10th over.
The Somerset 100 arrived in the 15th over and the 50-partnership between Bertie Michael and Joseph Eckland came from 40 balls.
Rain interrupted play again in the 17th over with the score on 116 for three.
After a lengthy stoppage, Eckland went to 50 from 35 balls and the visitor’s 150 arrived in the 19th over. The 100 partnership for the fourth wicket came shortly thereafter from 62 deliveries.
The stand was eventually worth 104 when Eckland fell for 68. His runs coming from 41 balls.
Somerset closed on 165 for four with Michael unbeaten on 37.
JT Langridge made the initial breakthrough for the visitors when he had Ricardo Vasconcelos (16) caught behind with the score on 22.
Justin Broad and David Willey took the score to 47 before the former was caught by Will MacDonald off the bowling of Kian Roberts for 28 from 15 balls.
A further 10 runs had been added to the total when Louis Kimber (2) was caught by George Addy to give MacDonald a wicket.
More rain arrived in the 10th over with the score on 74 for three.
On the resumption, Harvey Richards bowled Gus Miller for five at 76 for four.
The Northants 100 came in the 14th over and Willey began to play expansively as he went to his 50 from 34 balls.
Rain yet again halted proceedings with the scoreboard showing 139 for four with 27 runs required from 24 balls.
Willey was finally dismissed for 77 from just 43 deliveries, but his 84-run partnership with Rob Keogh (29 from 20) broke the back of the run chase as Keogh and Stuart van der Merwe saw their side over the line off the first delivery of the 19th over.