T20 Blast: Northants can reach final with Somerset

Somerset got off to a bright start after winning the toss and electing to bowl, reducing Northants to 26-3 in five overs, Riley Meredith snaring Ricardo Vasconcelos for 15 and Craig Overton removing both Nathan McSweeney (1) and Willey (6) cheaply.

Chris Lynn, the second-highest run-scorer in this season’s T20 Blast so far, finally hit his stride for the Steelbacks, hitting three fours and three sixes in a fourth-wicket stand of 65 with Saif Zaib.

But after Lynn was bowled by a slower off-cutter for 39 off 26 balls to make it 91-4, the Steelback innings failed to gain any momentum as Somerset took wickets at regular intervals.

Ball also took the key wickets of Zybe (26) and Lewis McManus (21), while Meredith took 3-21 and Overton 2-33.

Northants knew they needed something special and started their defense of 143 with batsman Tom Banton, who was England released to play in the final In Somerset’s reply, Day caught Willie for no on the first ball.

Thomas Rew, caught by McSweeney off Ben Sanderson, and James Rew, bowled by Willey, quickly put Banton back and 12-3 inside three overs, leaving Somerset in real trouble.

Will Schmidt put Somerset back in the driving seat when he hit Luke Proctor in the sixth over with four fours and two sixes to add to his total of 28 runs – more than Somerset scored in their first five overs combined.

But Schmidt was dismissed by James Sales for 49, wicketkeeper McManus took a superb diving catch with one hand at full length to his right, Lewis Gregory (13) and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (29) to stem the flow before Somerset moved to 104.

Willey then pulled off the moment of the match with a stunning fielding to help dismiss Somerset in the 18th over. The quarter final hero Overton made five runs, diving over the boundary rope and returning the ball in mid-air to take a catch off Zaib Sanderson.

It was a fitting way to cap Northamptonshire’s resilient performance on the field en route to victory, which saw Daniel Sams depart for 13 in the 19th over and Meredith bowled with the last ball of the match, who finished with 3-28.