Buttler sparks Somerset into life

Somerset 199 for 6 (Buttler 48) beat Glamorgan 135 (Allenby 69, Waller 4-27) by 64 runs
Scorecard

Jos Buttler smashed 48 off 19 balls as Somerset returned to form in the Friends Life t20 with an emphatic 64-run victory over Glamorgan at Taunton.

The hosts posted an impressive 199 for 6 after losing the toss, Craig Kieswetter contributing a rapid 37 off 18 deliveries and Dean Cosker escaping the carnage to take 2 for 18 from his four overs.

Jim Allenby and Mark Wallace got Glamorgan's reply off to a smooth start with a stand of 73 in eight overs, Allenby cracking 69 off 39 balls, with seven fours and three sixes.

But once he had fallen to the legspin of Max Waller (4 for 27) the visitors lost their momentum and plunged from 73 for 1 to 111 for 7 with only five overs remaining before being bowled out for 135 in 18.1 overs.

There was no way back as Waller took a stunning caught and bowled when Marcus North blasted a full toss back at him and pulled off another fine catch at point to send back Nathan McCullum.

Somerset went into the game on a three-match losing streak having failed to capitalise on their batting power plays and, even without skipper Marcus Trescothick, sidelined by an ankle problem, they put that right.

Kieswetter struck five fours and two sixes and Chris Jones leant sensible support as the two openers brought the fifty up in just 3.5 overs before Kieswetter was stumped advancing down the track to Nick James.

It was 70 for 1 off the six overs of Powerplay. Then Jones was brilliantly caught by the diving Graham Wagg at short cover for 20 and Glamorgan managed to put a brake on the scoring rate, thanks largely to the wily Cosker. Peter Trego could never get his timing quite right, while Nick Compton was content to push ones and twos in making 19 off as many balls.

It was when Craig Meschede joined him that Buttler really began to cut loose. The 17th over, bowled by left-arm spinner James, went for 27 and the England one-day international then produced his trademark reverse scoop to hit Michael Hogan for four and six off successive balls. In all he hit three fours and four sixes in a savage display.

The result keeps the Midlands/Wales /West Division open, with Glamorgan having won four and lost two, while Somerset have three victories and three defeats.