Somerset 138 for 2 (Rew 53*) beat Middlesex 135 (Meredith 4-27) by eight wickets
Meredith took 4 for 12 in Somerset’s T20 Blast win at Lord’s back in June and was Middlesex’s chief tormentor again with 4 for 27, as the hosts were bundled out for 135 with 63 balls unused. It was only the second time he had taken four or more wickets in List A cricket.
He received great support from new-ball partner Josh Davey(1 for 20), the pair leaving Middlesex in disarray at 39 for 4 by the end of the powerplay. England spinner Jack Leach got two wickets later down the card with only Martin Andersson (34) and Luke Hollman, left stranded on 38 not out, providing prolonged resistance.
Somerset’s sixth win in eight group games should be enough for them to progress directly to the semi-finals, but their fate will depend on other results in the coming days.
Middlesex had won three of their previous four games but were soon in trouble after being put in. Meredith took only four balls to begin the rout, pinning youngster Nathan Fernandes in front for a single.
Joe Cracknell had improved his career-best in both the last two games, but was run out after setting off for a single to short mid-on, and colliding with bowler Davey prior to George Thomas’ direct hit.
That wound was self-inflicted, but Meredith was soon centre-stage once more, cutting short Mark Stoneman’s four-boundary cameo with a snorter of a ball which zipped between bat and pad and plucked out the off stump.
Davey completed the powerplay carnage by castling Sam Robson off the inside edge and even when the new-ball pair vacated the bowling crease there was no let-up, Ben Green causing Jack Davies to feather one through to Rew.
Middlesex were in danger of not beating the 78 they’d been hustled out for by Somerset in the Blast two months previously and needed some crisp driving from Andersson to surpass that figure, he and Hollman sharing a sixth-wicket stand of 46.
But Meredith snuffed out lingering hopes of revival when he switched to the Pavilion End to trap Anderson leg-before with the first ball off his second spell immediately after the drinks break.
Hollman clubbed from Leach into the Mound Stand for the only six of the innings but others fell around him, Sean Dickson’s stunning catch to remove Henry Brookes the highlight of a fine fielding display from the visitors.
Thomas was fortunate not to be adjudged run-out on seven as Somerset began the chase, though he didn’t make the most of the reprieve when brilliantly stumped by Davies off Ethan Bamber four runs later. Davies would also stump Somerset’s leading scorer in the competition, Andrew Umeed, for 22.
But Goldsworthy remained to anchor his side inexorably towards the target in company with Rew, who cut loose late on to raise his fifty from 40 balls in the grand manner with a towering six off Hollman.
