It was a run-fest at Taunton on Saturday evening as Somerset stormed through to the semi-finals in the ongoing edition of the T20 Blast. Derbyshire won the toss and chose to bowl first. That was the only aspect of the game that went in their favour as Somerset came out all guns blazing at their home ground.
Somerset lost the opener, Will Smeed, in the final over of the powerplay. However, after that Tom Banton and Rilee Rossouw just went violent. Banton and Rossouw stitched a colossal 102-run stand off just 50 balls. While Banton smashed a 41-ball 73, Rossouw had just started as his demolition mode was on display in the 15th over of the innings. Rossouw went absolute berserk hitting five sixes and a four in the over as Somerset accumulated 35 runs off the over, including an extra of the no-ball.
The victim of this onslaught was the leg-spinner, Matt McKiernan. McKiernan apart from going for 35 runs in just one over, gave away 47 runs in the rest of his three overs as he registered a dubious record in his name. McKiernan not only bowled the most expensive spell in the history of competition but in T20 cricket, ever
McKiernan’s 82/0 is the most expensive four-spell as Somerset launched an assault against Derbyshire getting to the highest score in the tournament history. McKiernan overtook Sarmad Anwar who had leaked 81 runs in four overs in the Super Eight T20 Cup in 2011 playing for the Sialkot Stallions.
Rossouw, who has earned a recall to South Africa’s T20I side for the England series, ended up scoring 93 off just 36 balls striking at 258.
After the assault, Derbyshire just surrendered with the bat, getting bowled out for a paltry 74. Somerset have now set up a semi-final date with Hampshire Hawks on the finals day on Saturday, July 16.
