Tom Banton leads Somerset to four-wicket victory over Glamorgan

Big-hitting Tom Banton posted a high-octane half century as Somerset comfortably beat Glamorgan by four wickets in an entertaining Vitality Blast contest at Taunton.

Banton dominated an opening stand of 69 with Will Smeed and went on to make 54 from 28 balls, his highest score of the campaign, to help propel Somerset to victory with 5.1 overs to spare in front of a near full-house crowd.

Somerset won the toss, elected to field and produced a disciplined performance to bowl Glamorgan out for 153 in 19.4 overs, thanks in large part to Roelof van der Merwe’s return of three for 24 from four overs.

Eddie Byrom top-scored for the Welsh county with 43 and added 50 for the second wicket with Kiran Carlson, who made 31, but Glamorgan then lost nine wickets for 82 runs and failed to bat out their overs.

Glamorgan were 57 for one at the end of the six-over powerplay, and attempting to sweep Van der Merwe, Byrom missed and was trapped lbw for a 28-ball 42.

Lewis Gregory then struck with his first delivery, Carlson caught in the deep by Tom Abell having scored 31 from 19 balls.

Taking full advantage of their double breakthrough, Somerset applied the squeeze, Gregory persuading the dangerous Colin Ingram to hit to deep mid-wicket for 13 and Van der Merwe having Ben Kellaway held at long-on as Glamorgan slipped to 100 for five in the 13th over.

Chris Cooke carved 18 runs from 16 balls to threaten a Welsh revival, only to fall to Matt Henry, who had him caught at long-on.

When Dan Douthwaite was dismissed in identical fashion off the bowling of Van der Merwe, the visitors were 129 for seven in the 17th over.

Dismissed

Billy Root attempted to take matters into his own hands by raising 18 from 16 balls, but perished at the hands of Peter Siddle, while Ruaidhri Smith skied a catch to extra cover off the bowling of Green. New overseas recruit Peter Hatzoglu smashed 15 off eight balls before hoisting Siddle to Craig Overton at long-on as the visitors were dismissed with two balls unused.

Banton plundered three fours and a six from successive balls in an over from Australian leg-spinner Hatzoglu that went for 23 runs as Banton and Smeed raised 50 in 3.5 overs to seize the initiative.

Having contributed his highest score of the campaign and played his part in a whirlwind opening stand of 69 in 5.5 overs, Smeed drove Douthwaite straight to mid-off for 28 and by the end of the powerplay, Somerset were 72 for one.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore smashed Smith for consecutive sixes over long-on and mid-wicket before chancing his arm once too often and holing out to backward point for 19 later in the same over.

There was no stopping Banton, however, the right-hander going to his first Blast 50 of the season from 26 balls.

Having set-up a successful chase, he was unable to finish the job, hitting Douthwaite to mid-off in the 10th over, and Somerset were 116 for three, requiring a further 38 runs.

Tom Lammonby came and went quickly, but Tom Abell and Gregory eschewed unnecessary risk in a fifth-wicket partnership of 25, which took the home side to the brink of victory.

Abell was bowled for a 17-ball 22 and Gregory went for 11, leaving Green to strike the winning runs.