Gregory, Abell dig deep to keep Somerset clear at the top

Somerset guaranteed themselves a home quarter-final in the Vitality Blast with a five-wicket win over the Kent Spitfires at Canterbury.

Riley Meredith took three for 19 as the hosts were held to a paltry 137 for 8 from 20 overs, Joe Denly their top scorer with 40.

The visitors survived a mid-innings wobble, when they stuttered to 73 for 4 and were effectively five-down with Tom Banton unable to bat, but won with nine balls to spare. Tom Abell was unbeaten on 34 while Lewis Gregory top-scored with 37.

Somerset chose the bowl and got the fastest possible vindication when Craig Overton bent Tawanda Muyeye's middle stump backwards with the first ball of the night. In the next over Meredith sent Harry Finch's off stump flying for one, but the visitors were dealt a blow when Banton suffered a hand injury and Tom Kohler-Cadmore had to take the gloves.

When Meredith had Sam Billings lbw for 11 the Kent captain punched his bat in frustration and just as it looked like Chris Benjamin might be rebuilding with Denly, Gregory bowled him for 20.

Denly pulled Ben Green to the sub Tom Lammonby at cow corner, and Lammonby took his second catch when Joey Evison swished Meredith to mid-wicket for five. It was 109 for 6, at which point there was a 23-minute delay due to dazzling sunlight.

When play resumed Jack Leaning was run out by Jake Ball from a direct hit for 37 and Kent had to play the final over without a recognised batter. Wes Agar hit Green's first ball for six but was then caught behind without adding to his score and although Nathan Gilchrist hooked the final delivery for six, the total looked meagre.

The chase was more fraught than anticipated: Kohler-Cadmore went for just two, hoicking Agar to Finch on the square-leg boundary and Parkinson had Goldsworthy caught by Muyeye at deep mid-wicket for 14. Will Smeed was run out for 36 by Denly from cover, chasing a wildly optimistic single and at the halfway point in the innings the visitors were 62 for three and behind on DLS.

Yet although Sean Dickson was lbw in the next over to Evison for 4, Abell and Gregory played sensibly before taking 13 off Denly in the 15th over. By the time Gilchrist bowled Gregory for 37 in the 18th, Somerset needed just eight to win. Green levelled the scores with four off an Agar full toss and then scrambled a single to seal the win.

Somerset remain clear at the top of the South Group table while Kent now have to win their remaining two games and hope other results go their way to have any hope of reaching the quarter-finals.