SOMERSET'S hopes of becoming the first team to retain the Vitality Blast Trophy took a step closer to becoming a reality when they booked their place at Finals Day by beating Northamptonshire Steelbacks at Wantage Road by 17 runs.
The stand-out performers for the Cidermen were Tom Banton, who made 75, and Tom Kohler-Cadmore with 63 who between them added 125 for the second wicket.
At the start of the evening, after being asked to bat Somerset openers, Will Smeed and Banton took the total onto 10 before Smeed edged David Capel to keeper Lewis Mc Manus.
Banton then continued his rich vein of form and after a couple of lusty blows fell just short. He smote his first six of the innings in the fifth over.
Kohler-Cadmore struggled to get going and took a single off Ashton Agar to bring up the 50 in the seventh over. At the other end, Banton was making hay and took 18 including two big two sixes off the eighth over.
Banton duly went to his half century with two off Saif Zaib his runs coming off 36 balls with four fours and three sixes and, at the halfway stage, Somerset had reached 87 for one.
Kohler-Cadmore then hit his first six, which Banton followed up next ball, but one with another big shot over the boundary as the pair took 23 off the 11th over.
Banton kept up his onslaught until he attempted one six too many and was caught on the mid wicket boundary by George Bartlett off Zaib for 75, making Somerset 135 for two in the 14th over.
Kohler-Cadmore continued to flourish and went to his 50 with three off Jack White in the 15th over which came off 38 balls with two fours and four sixes.
Kohler-Cadmore had moved onto 63 when he was caught at mid wicket by Zaib off Ben Sanderson making the visitors 171 for three in the 17th over.
A late flurry of runs between Lewis Gregory and Sean Dickson saw Somerset onto 215 for three, Dickson unbeaten on 33 and Gregory unbeaten on 20.
Craig Overton gave the visitors a great start when he had former team mate Bartlett caught by Kohler-Cadmore off the penultimate ball of the first over.
Home skipper David Willey lifted the home crowds spirits when he hit Josh Davey for the first six of the innings in the fourth over.
Willey and Ricardo Vasconcelos started to build a partnership and a boundary by the latter off Jake Ball saw up the 50 in the sixth over.
Vasconcelos hit Gregory for a big six over backward square but looking to repeat the shot he was caught by Josh Davey for 30 making the hosts 66 for two in the eighth.
After 10 overs Northants had reached 93 for two, still needing 124 for victory.
Roelof van der Merwe came into the attack for the 12th over and off the last ball Willey hit a big six over backward square leg to edge Northants closer to their target.
Just when it seemed as though the hosts were edging ahead Gregory claimed the wicket of Austin Broad caught and bowled for 29.
Willey brought up his 50 with a single off Davey in the 15th over his runs coming off 35 balls with one four and four sixes. The 150 came up in the 16th over and next ball Zaid skied Gregory’s final ball and was caught by Abell at mid on for 32.
Ball bowled his third over from the Pavilion End and with his third ball had Willey caught at mid wicket by Van der Merwe for 57, which proved to be the end of their serious challenge as they entered the last over needing 38 to win
In the end they finished on 198 giving Somerset victory by 17 runs and a place at Finals Day to keep their hopes of the treble - the championship, the one day cup and the T20 - alive.
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