Smeed delivers his knock-out blow as Somerset seal record chase

Will Smeed was relieved to have finally produced the goods when it mattered for Somerset after his perfectly paced innings of 94 off 58 balls helped secure the club's third T20 Blast title, and second in the last five years.

Smeed had never previously scored a half-century in a T20 knockout match - a record that stretched back to his breakthrough season in 2021, and encompassed 13 innings for Somerset (five quarter-finals, five semi-finals and three finals), as well as one for Birmingham Phoenix in the Hundred.

He fell one hit away from becoming only the second player to score a century on Blast Finals Days - after Chris Lynn broke new ground for Hampshire in Saturday's second semi-final - and the first to do so in the final of the competition. But he said he was happy to hand over to his captain, Lewis Gregory, whose ruthless five-ball onslaught sealed the game for Somerset with an over to spare.

"To be honest, I just wanted to win the game. I was gutted about not getting us over the line, but Lewis did it, so now I couldn't care less. I just wanted to make sure we won it. That was the main thing."

Asked if it was his best innings, Smeed said: "It's the first time I've done it in a knockout game. So it's nice to nice to get that under my belt, and hopefully can take that on going forward. But tonight I'm just gonna celebrate with my mates."

The innings was also evidence of Smeed's efforts to "add a few more dimensions" to his game as an all-or-nothing power hitter opening the batting. He was 18 off 15 balls when losing opening partner, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, and steadily increased his tempo through the chase, reaching a 35-ball fifty. His first and only six of the night came in the 17th over, from the 53rd ball he had faced.

"We knew one of the top order had to take it deep, just the way the game panned out meant I had to take some more sensible options than I'm used to," he said. "But it felt like you could hit fours if you hit gaps.

"I think that's been something I've tried to work on this year, is trying to add a few more dimensions to the game, as opposed to going gung-ho. TKC did it in the first game brilliantly [with 81 off 52 to set up victory over Lancashire], and I tried to take some learnings from that. We've got so much faith in guys down the order that if the rate does creep up, we can always get it back down. So yeah, it worked out today."

The absence of Tom Banton with England, which led to Kohler-Cadmore moving up from his usual berth at No. 3, "probably put a bit more responsibility on me," Smeed said. "But we've not exactly got bad players filling in for him, we've got guns coming in. So yeah, it doesn't change much in terms of the balance of the team or anything. I think that's been our strength, everyone knows what the team needs from them, and they just go and try and do that."

In the middle alongside Gregory for the moment of victory was Sean Dickson, twice Somerset's top-scorer when they prevailed on Finals Day in 2023 and the man who dragged them through the quarter-finals last weekend with a scintillating innings against Birmingham Bears. This was likely his last innings for the club, having agreed a move to Glamorgan after not being offered a new contract.

"He's been unbelievable for us. I think, probably the best number five in the country, and I think he shows that time and time again. So yeah, gutted to be losing hm, I'm not looking forward to playing against him next year. But yeah, he's been so good for us, he brings that calm composure and the ability to execute under pressure, and he can smack any kind of bowler. So he's a serious, serious player. We're very grateful for what he's done for the club over the last few years."

Hampshire, who were aiming for a record fourth T20 title, had appeared to be favourites after posting the joint-highest total in a Blast final on the back of Toby Albert's 85 and a partnership of 97 off 59 balls with their captain, James Vince. They squeezed Somerset's requirement up to 12.66 an over, with six overs left in the game, only for Smeed and Dickson reel it back in as dew descended and it became harder for bowlers to hold the ball.

"They obviously got off to a flyer, but we bowled so well, like we have done in the last few games, through that middle period. At the halfway stage, we felt really in the game. We knew we'd have to bat well, but we felt in it. It was a great wicket and the outfield got quicker. So yeah, just absolutely buzzing to have won."

Both teams were playing at Finals Day for the 11th time - a joint-record - and while Somerset have the better record of reaching the final (this was their eighth), Hampshire had never previously been beaten with the trophy on the line.

"They're a great side. Every time we play them, it seems like a really close game, so I'm sure we'll have lots of close games in the future. You've just got to look at their side, they're full of good players. They know how to win, they know how to get to finals day, and it's nice to get one over on them this time, but I'm sure they're going to come back with a vengeance next year."