Vitality T20 Blast quarter-final
Somerset 209-5 beat Notts Outlaws 190 by 19 runs

AN outstanding batting display from Lewis Gregory and some wrecking-ball bowling from Jamie Overton led Somerset to their first T20 finals day since 2012.

The Cooper Associates County Ground played host to a thrilling encounter on Bank Holiday Monday, after the scheduled Sunday fixture was rained off.

Put in to bat by the visitors, Somerset made a very unsteady start, losing Steve Davies (0) off the final ball and then Peter Trego (10) in the fourth over.

But for 30-2, Johann Myburgh - in his final match in Taunton - and James Hildreth rebuilt, reaching 59 before Myburgh departed for 27.

But in Hildreth and Tom Abell, Somerset had men they could rely on - the pair taking the home side up past 100.

Hildreth plundered two consecutive 6s off Steven Mullaney, but then fell for 52 (off 28 balls).

Abell remained the anchor as Gregory - the captain overcoming an injury scare to play - lit the blue touch paper.

Corey Anderson's (6) early departure mattered little as Gregory blitzed his way to 60 from just 25 balls (two 4s and five 6s), ending unbeaten alongside Abell (46) to take his side from 130-5 after 15 overs to 209-5 after 20.

Only Samit Patel (1-16 off three overs) and Matt Carter (1-26 off three) ended up with respectable figures after Gregory's explosive performance, hitting Harry Gurney for 24 in the 18th.

Chasing 210 to win, Notts made a confident start, but then lost Riki Wessels (10) to Overton's first delivery.

But Alex Hales was causing damage, notably hitting four consecutive 4s off Overton's bowling, as he and Jake Libby cruised past 80.

Hales (45) was gorging on Overton in particular, but then the Somerset bowler has his man, Gregory with the catch, to leave the visitors 88-2.

Libby and Tom Moores continued to make hay, the game very much in the balance, but then Max Waller made the breakthrough at 133-3, having Moores (36) caught by Roelof van der Merwe.

Gregory (2-29 off four) then dismissed Dan Christian (2) and Van der Merwe saw off Libby (41) - Myburgh with a diving catch on his Taunton swansong - and that was just the start of the collapse.

From 156-5 the away side subsided to 177-9, as Overton (5-47 off four) went wicket-crazy in the 18th over - Patel, Luke Fletcher and Mullaney all caught by Waller off Overton's bowling.

That was game over, and Jerome Taylor capped the victory in fine style, clean bowling Gurney (6) off the final ball - Notts all out for 190 (Carter 16no) to give the hosts victory by 19 runs.

Somerset will now play Sussex at finals day at Edgbaston, on Saturday, September 15.