Here we go then with the first quarter-final match of this years Twenty20 competition. Taunton was the venue; Somerset and Essex the opposing sides.
Somerset finished top of their group, somehow, having been way down with only a few games to go. In the end they won five of their games, with three no results and two losses. Essex scraped through as one of the two best third placed sides. They alson won five games, but lost four, having only one match rained off.
Both sides were strong, particularly in batting. Essex welcomed Bopara and Cook straight from the England camp, while Somerset fielded Trescothick in his first T20 of the season after injury kept him out of the group stage.
Essex won the toss and decided to field.
First delivery, bowled by Phillips, saw the mighty Kieswetter attempting to launch the ball out of the ground but only succeeding in holing out in the deep. The home crowd weren't quiet for long however as the wicket brought out Trescothick. It didn't take him long to settle in as he picked off two boundaries in the first two overs.
The first 6 came up in the third over as Somerset put the early loss behind them. Essex mixed up the bowlers during the powerplay but boundaries flowed with regularity until the fifth over when a stunning catch by Napier cut Trescothick's innings short. He went for 19 from 13 balls with three 4s, leaving Somerset on 39-2.
Six overs gone, Somerset were still scoring well on 54, but with the powerplay overs finished Somerset wanted to keep the runs coming. Instead Foster took an excellent catch, standing up to Topely, to dismiss Levi (20).
Hildreth and Buttler gave themselves an over to recover but then got straight back on the gas taking 15 from the 9th over and then attacking some poor bowling from Bopara to add another 11, helping the hosts onto 89-3 from 10 overs. Buttler had raced to 33 but then skied one in the 11th over and Cook took his second catch of the match; the third wicket for Topely.
Still the run rate was good and Somerset went past 100 in the 13th over, but then just as the 5th wicket partnership seemed to be gaining pace Morkel became Cook's third catch off the bowling of Masters. Hildreth became the key man, and having gone past 2000 career T20 runs, he built a big innings and accelerated in the 17th over hitting four consecutive boundaries to bring up his half century.
Essex's bowling began to fall apart with more boundaries and the odd wide, but just as Somerset looked like they might post a big total Hildreth was run out trying to take a second run. He'd made 58 from 36 balls but left it up to the long tail to add as many as they could in the final overs. In the end though Gregory led the home side to the finish with 17 not out to set up an exciting game.
Somerset made 175-6.
Essex made a steady start to their innigs scoring singles in the first over, while Somerset appealed unsuccessfully for a catch behind, which came off Pettini's pad. However in only the next over Petinni lifted one skywards and picked out Dockrell. Two balls later Bopara was also caught for 0 leaving Essex on 9-2. Shah took 10 from 2 balls in the third over but then became the third wicket, again caught by Dockrell, in the fourth.
The visitors tripped to 41 in the 8th over when a run out call came and the umpires went to the TV. The decision was a long time coming and most people seemed to think not out, but were surprised when Franklin was sent on his way.
Cook went to 28 at just above a run-a-ball but then, looking to lift the rate, lofted the ball between two players, and Levi was the man to tumble forward and take the catch. Essex were now 53-5 and the game was all but over with the required rate now above 11.
Foster smacked 26 from 16 balls to give the faintest glimmer of hope but he was caught and bowler again to Dockrell. Napier added 9 but he too perished with Essex still only on 93.
Somerset fielded excellently and the run rate rocketed upwards. Ten Doeschate though, with a lot of Twenty20 experience provided some late fireworks hitting 16 from the last three balls of the 18th over, leaving 29 required from the last 2. Masters was then bowled to bring in last man Topley. Everything rested on Doeschate and he had to throw the bat and unfortunately for him the 6s ran out as he was caught by Waller to end the match.
So Somerset's fantastic run of quarter-final results goes to 5 wins from 5, while Essex are still yet to reach the final, having also played in 5 quarter-finals.
Result
Somerset: 175-6. Hildreth 58, Topely 3 for 27
Essex: 148, ten Doeschate 47, Gregory 4 for 39
Somerset win by 27 runs
Star Player: Hildreth, for providing some much needed impetus late in the Somerset innings to help put on a score that Essex found hard to chase.
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