SOMERSET took the first step towards retaining their Vitality Blast title after a seven-wicket win over Surrey in the first semi-final as Edgbaston hosted its 16th T20 Finals Day.

They had looked in big trouble at seven for three chasing 154 but Sean Dickson (76 from 57 balls) and James Rew (62 not out from 44) shared a stand of 144 for the third wicket as Somerset powered into the final with eight balls to spare.

Having been put in, Surrey had collapsed from 69 for one to 114 for six before grafting out 153 for nine in their innings, Somerset skipper Lewis Gregory (three for 15) playing a superb hand with the ball as well as pulling off an excellent run-out, backed up by Josh Shaw’s three for 34 after Dom Sibley had given the innings its only real substance with 48 from 36.

Dan Lawrence departed in the second over of Surrey’s innings when he sliced Josh Davey high in the air on the off-side as Surrey reached 62 for one at the end of the powerplay.

Gregory struck two massive blows in the eighth over, bowling Ollie Pope through the gate and nipping one past Jamie Smith’s outside edge to clip off stump and Surrey were 86 for three at halfway.

Gregory ran out Rory Burns with a superb throw from extra cover and then claimed his third wicket as Sibley found the fielder at wide long-on and when Tom Curran played on to Jake Ball, Surrey were 114 for six in the 15th.

Chris Jordan, Evans and Jordan Clark all perished trying to clear the ropes, Shaw picking up two of those in his final over as Surrey finished on 153 for nine.

Somerset got off to a disappointing start as they lost three wickets in the opening 13 balls.

Dan Worrall pinned Tom Kohler-Cadmore in front of leg stump and had Will Smeed caught behind, either side of a leading edge to cover by Tom Abell off Tom Curran.

But from seven for three, Dickson and Rew steadied the ship and turned 29 for three after the powerplay into 71 for three at halfway.

Dickson, having already cleared the rope with a slog-sweep off Cameron Steel, picked up two more sixes off the leg-spinner, with Rew collecting maximums off Lawrence and Clark. With 30 balls remaining, they were just 26 away from a place in the final.

Rew, with his maiden T20 half-century in the bag, pulled Jordan for his third six and followed up by cutting him for four to bring the requirement down to three of the last two overs.

Dickson skewed one in the air to be caught at deep cover but that only invited skipper Gregory to hit the winning runs, which he did by slashing Clark high over third man for six to send Somerset into the final.