NatWest T20 Blast
South Group
Somerset 166-5 beat Middlesex 162-6 by five wickets

JAMES Hildreth blasted 63 off 34 balls as Somerset chased down 162 to beat Middlesex with a ball to spare, thereby doing the double over their opponents in this season's NatWest T20 Blast.

The match began at 4.05pm, after heavy rain in Taunton scuppered hopes of a 2.30pm start and reduced the match to 16 overs per side, with Somerset winning the toss and putting the visitors in to bat first.

It was a shaky start for Middlesex, with captain Brendon McCullum superbly caught by Peter Trego off Tim Groenewald, and Nick Gubbins run out by wicketkeeper Tom Banton (from Max Waller's throw).

But England T20 skipper Eoin Morgan entered the fray and began finding the boundary with ease as he raced to 50 off 20 balls.

He was eventually caught by Craig Overton for 59 (off 28 balls, with seven 6s), but he was ably supported by John Simpson (26), George Scott (17no) and Ryan Higgins (20) and Middlesex set an imposing 162-6 off their 16 overs.

It was a difficult day for the bowlers, with the standouts being Groenewald (2-28 off three overs) and Roelof van der Merwe (0-23 off three).

Come the reply, Lewis Gregory put together another fine knock at the top of the innings, 25 off 12 balls, before being caught and bowled by Tom Helm.

Jim Allenby was clean bowled by Steven Finn (2-31 off three overs) for 11, and Trego (6) soon followed, leaving the hosts on 46-3.

Hildreth, though, saw Morgan's innings and raised it, as he blazed his way to 63 from 34 deliveries (eight 4s and two 6s), but when he fell (caught behind by Simpson off Helm (2-24 off three)) Somerset were at 130-5, needing 33 from the final three overs.

T20 signing Corey Anderson and Van der Merwe kept the runs coming, and 13 were needed off the final over.

Anderson (19no) smashed James Franklin for six, and Van der Merwe (14no) finished the job with an audacious scoop over his shoulder for four - giving the hosts victory by five wickets with one ball remaining.

The win meant they had done the double over Middlesex in the competition, and it lifts them up to fifth place in the South Group table, with six points from six games - just three points off leaders Surrey.

On Wednesday they host Hampshire, again at the County Ground, with the match scheduled to start at 5pm.

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Afterwards the hero of the hour James Hildreth said: "We've started to get a bit of momentum in all competitions, with different people contributing at different times.

"We saw how easy it was to hit boundaries today, so at the halfway stage we thought that, if we batted well, we were with a great shout."

As for the importance of this T20 double over Middlesex, he added: "We just wanted some wins as a club in all competitions.

"I felt we were a bit down, the club, so to get back on track in this competition, it's nice to get some more energy about the personnel."