Semi-final defeat to Somerset at Finals Day
Lancashire Lightning's Vitality Blast journey came to an end in the semi-final at Edgbaston, losing to Somerset by 23 runs at Edgbaston.
Put in, Somerset totalled 182 for seven with only Tom Kohler-Cadmore, 81 from 52 balls, mastering a Lightning attack led by Tom Hartley (4-0-24-1) and George Balderson (3-0-31-3).
The score looked only about par but Lewis Gregory’s side defended it with enormous skill and energy. Lancashire fell short on 159 all out as Keaton Jennings scored 44 (28) but Somerset bowled accurately (Migael Pretorious three for 27) and fielded superbly to squeeze the chase into submission.
Somerset will face Hampshire or Northamptonshire in the final this evening.
Lightning chose to bowl and started strongly. The second over, from Tom Aspinwall, was that Blast rarity, a maiden and the first ball of the third over, from Balderson, bowled Will Smeed.
Kohler-Cadmore and Tom Abell sparked the innings into life with a stand of 43 in 23 balls. Abell lapped James Anderson for an audacious six but the bowler gained his revenge when Abell (26, 14) played on. James Rew soon followed when he flicked Aspinwall to mid-wicket.
Semi-final hero Sean Dickson was slickly stumped by Matty Hurst when he charged and missed a cut at Hartley. Lewis Gregory lifted Anderson to deep extra and Somerset were grateful for the ballast of Kohler-Cadmore. He reached a 38-ball half-century. hit four sixes and six fours and was within 19 of the first ever Finals Day century when he skewed an attempted straight hit at Balderson to wide long on.
That left Somerset on 154 with ten balls left and needing some late fireworks. Craig Overton and Pretorius provided them by smashing 21 from the last over.
Lightning’s reply started with fireworks – 22 from the first eight balls – before Luke Wells was brilliantly caught by Pretorius at short fine leg off Gregory and Overton pinned Hurst lbw. Jennings and Liam Livingstone powered Lightning to 73 from the powerplay but the next three overs brought just six runs.
Ben Green conceded three from the seventh over. In the eighth, Jennings skied Goldsworth and Kohler-Cadmore judged a tricky catch perfectly, running round from long on. The ninth, from Pretorius, yielded just two runs and at halfway, Lightning were 93 for three with the game perfectly poised.
The pivotal moment followed when Livingstone (29, 19) fell lbw to Gregory, departing in angst and leaving nobody in any doubt that he felt he had hit the ball. Arav Shetty drove Green to extra cover and, as Somerset’s seamers tightened their grip, the required run-rate rose: 64 were needed from the last five overs with five wickets down.
Successive sixes by Michael Jones off Pretorius kept Lightning in the hunt but another fine catch, by Overton at long on, in the same over did for Jack Blatherwick and Somerset closed out victory with relentless efficiency.
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