Prolific Thomas sets up Somerset victory

Somerset 139 for 4 beat Glamorgan 138 by six wickets
Scorecard

Alfonso Thomas took three wickets for the sixth successive Friends Provident t20 match as Somerset beat Glamorgan by six wickets at Taunton. The most successful bowler in the competition claimed 3 for 11 from four overs as the visitors were bowled out for 138, Mark Cosgrove (75) playing virtually a lone hand with the bat as Murali Kartik took 3 for 18.

Somerset reached their target with eight balls to spare, James Hildreth making 45 and Nick Compton 40. Robert Croft was the pick of the Dragons bowlers with 1 for 17 from his four overs. The pivotal over of the game was the 15th of the Somerset innings bowled by Chris Ashling, who had Compton stumped and then Zander de Bruyn badly dropped by wicketkeeper Mark Wallace off a skyer.

A single was taken while the ball was in the air and Kieron Pollard then hit Ashling for three mighty sixes off successive deliveries. Although Pollard fell in the next over for 19 off eight balls, his assault had helped reduce the required rate to a run a ball and the pressure which had been growing on Somerset was released.

Earlier, Cosgrove had struggled to time the ball throughout his innings but still hit nine fours and two sixes in remaining at the crease until the final over. He had absolutely no support, wickets tumbling regularly at the other end from the fourth ball of the match which saw Jim Allenby miscue a pull shot off Thomas to Mark Turner at mid-on.

Tom Maynard flattered to deceive with three fours in his 14, while skipper Jamie Dalrymple was the only other Dragons player to reach double figures in good batting conditions. Kartik destroyed the middle order, sending back David Brown, Gareth Rees and Mark Wallace, who between them scored seven runs. The Indian left-arm spinner employed good variation and got the odd ball to turn.

Cosgrove was unusually content to dab and push a lot of his runs, taking 41 balls over his half-century and finally cutting loose in the 18th over with four and six off successive deliveries from Pollard. He eventually holed out at long-on off the West Indian all-rounder. Thomas' wickets took his tally in the competition to 22 at an average of 10.09.