Thomas Rew scored a half-century as Somerset defeated Northamptonshire by 105 runs, keeping their T20 Blast quarter-final hopes alive. The reigning champions need three consecutive wins to defend their title on Finals Day.
Rew Brothers Duel as Somerset Stay in Hunt
After Northamptonshire had secured their knockout spot with eight straight wins, they suffered their first defeat of the competition, losing heavily at home to Somerset. Thomas Rew outscored his elder brother James, hitting 57 compared to James's 30, in what has been dubbed the 'Rew v Rew' contest. With Jos Buttler approaching the twilight of his international career, a slot could open up in England's white-ball squad, potentially for one of the Rews.
Gloucestershire Slump After Strong Start
Gloucestershire, still second in the Central and West Group, have lost three consecutive matches, jeopardising their progression. Their latest defeat came at Edgbaston against Warwickshire, where they encountered Usman Tariq. The spinner took three for 12 from his four overs, using an unorthodox action that involves jumping sideways into the crease and dropping to a full round-arm delivery. According to the 99.94 Cricket Blog, Tariq's methods are very much not old-school, but they proved effective.
Nottinghamshire Extend Winning Run
Nottinghamshire top the North Group after seven consecutive wins. Their last two victories came by narrow margins: one run against Lancashire and two runs against Durham. In the Durham match, slow left-armers George Linde and Liam Patterson-White bowled six overs for just 26 runs, taking two wickets each, as Durham failed to find boundaries when needing 58 off seven overs. Notts, led by Joe Clarke in white-ball cricket, consistently find ways to win.
Adam Lyth Powers Yorkshire
Yorkshire are poised to join Nottinghamshire in progressing from the North Group after scoring over 200 in each of their last two matches. Adam Lyth's unbeaten 131 set up a target of 208 against Leicestershire, which Hasan Ali and Andrew Tye defended with four wickets each. Lyth, at 38, needs just three more centuries to reach 50 for Yorkshire, a milestone that will mean a lot to the born-and-bred Tyke. His innings evoked memories of his golden 2014 season, though he is unlikely to add to his seven international appearances.
James Vince Leads Hampshire
Hampshire consolidated their lead in the South Group by beating Kent at the Rose Bowl, avenging a defeat at Canterbury. James Vince top-scored in both matches. His batting and captaincy in white-ball cricket make a significant difference to Hampshire's fortunes. With Harry Brook likely to replace Ben Stokes as Test captain, England may need to manage Brook's workload. Vince, now a franchise cricketer living abroad, could provide experience and leadership; a deal allowing Jacob Bethell to lead the T20 side while Vince captains the ODI team might suit all parties.
Surrey Leapfrog Essex
Surrey beat Essex at Chelmsford to leapfrog them into second place in the South Group. Jason Roy, Laurie Evans, Josh Philippe and Ollie Pope took advantage of the short boundaries to post 240. A late blitz from Shane Snater and Zaman Akhter almost snatched victory for Essex, but Surrey held on. The return match at the Oval on Sunday could be a showdown in its own right.
