Kieswetter and Buttler power Somerset win

Somerset 270 for 5 (Kieswetter 100, Buttler 94*, Patel 1-51) beat Nottinghamshire 223 (Mullaney 38, Mendis 4-35) by 48 runs
Scorecard

Somerset wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter stated his case for an England one-day international recall with an accomplished hundred as the Cidermen defeated Notts Outlaws by 47 runs. The 23-year-old hit eight fours and two sixes in a 111-ball innings before being caught at midwicket for 100.

Kieswetter played second fiddle to Jos Buttler in their fifth-wicket stand of 104 as 20-year-old Buttler displayed astonishing power to blast an unbeaten 94 from just 56 balls, including two sixes and 13 fours. Needing 271 to win, Notts never threatened to reach their target, as Sri Lankan spinner Ajantha Mendis picked up 4 for 35 to help bowl out the hosts for 223.

Notts got the game off to the perfect start after winning the toss and choosing to field as Luke Fletcher removed Somerset skipper Marcus Trescothick lbw for a duck with the third ball of the match. But that was about as good as the game got for the home side, who handed former Somerset seamer Ben Phillips his debut after his move to Trent Bridge in the winter and saw the 36-year-old smashed for 66 off his seven overs.

Kieswetter put on 100 for the second wicket with Peter Trego, who made 47 from 40 balls before he was bowled by Samit Patel in the 16th over, with Nick Compton and James Hildreth following in quick succession. That only brought the prodigiously talented Buttler to the crease and the former England Under-19 international demonstrated formidably quick hands and feet as he hit boundaries all around the wicket.

Notts captain Chris Read rotated his bowlers frequently in an attempt to disrupt the batting momentum but they missed one opportunity to remove Buttler on 54, when the batsman mistimed a drive to wide extra cover off left-arm spinner Patel only to see the chance dropped.

The Outlaws needed their own young star Alex Hales to shine if they were to successfully chase their target but after the elegant right-hander hit five fours off the first four overs, he was late on a pull shot off Gemaal Hussain and was caught at mid-on for 23. And the pressure quickly mounted from there, with Patel driving Mendis to long-on to spark a run of three wickets in consecutive overs, with Neil Edwards and Read also sent back to the pavilion.

Adam Voges and Steven Mullaney put on 70 for the fifth wicket but once they were out the game was effectively over, Mendis sealing the win with four overs left when Fletcher swept to deep midwicket.