Kieswetter condemns sorry Northants

Craig Kieswetter's explosive half-century helped unbeaten Somerset to an easy seven-wicket win over a desperate Northamptonshire side in the Friends Life t20 at Wantage Road.

After being made to bat, the winless Steelbacks made a feeble 115 for 6 - at one point going 62 balls without hitting a boundary - with Steve Kirby, George Dockrell and Arul Suppiah taking two wickets each.

Somerset reached their target with 38 deliveries to spare as England's limited-overs wicketkeeper-batsman, Kieswetter, smashed 51 off 35 balls and South Africa international Richard Levi hammered 35 off just 18 deliveries.

Somerset did not have to wait long for a breakthrough after taking to the field when Kirby bowled Kyle Coetzer for nine in the second over. Chaminda Vaas then departed for the same score when he gifted Kirby his second wicket by launching him high into the air and Nick Compton waited underneath it at point to take the catch.

The in-form Cameron White fell on 14 when he smashed Ireland spinner Dockrell to Jos Buttler at deep extra cover. Rob White then threw his wicket away by chipping Dockrell straight to Somerset captain Alfonso Thomas at short extra cover.

Steelbacks captain Alex Wakely eventually perished after crawling to 34 off 43 balls when he was stumped by Kieswetter off Suppiah. Kieswetter then repeated the trick two Suppiah deliveries later to dismiss David Willey as it took the hosts until the penultimate over to reach 100.

Chasing a meagre 116, Somerset got off to a terrific start as Levi bludgeoned four huge sixes during the Powerplay, with the visitors halfway towards their target by the end of it.

Levi had departed by then, however, when he smashed fellow South African Con de Lange to Coetzer at deep midwicket to end an opening partnership with Kieswetter of 61. Kieswetter hung around to go past 50 off just 33 balls with a four through extra cover off Oliver Stone but he walked when he was bowled by de Lange in the 11th over.

De Lange, who finished with figures of 3 for 22 then trapped Peter Trego lbw for 8 before the match came to a underwhelming end with the winning run coming from a James Middlebrook wide.