Tom Banton stars with century as Somerset beat Kent by 55 runs

The 20-year-old reached his hundred from 52 balls before Kent were bowled out for 151 chasing 207 for victory

Taunton: Somerset 206-8 v Kent 151 - Somerset won by 55 runs

Scorecard

Tom Banton scored a scintillating maiden Vitality T20 Blast hundred to propel Somerset to a comfortable 55-run victory over Kent and into quarter-final contention in the ultra-competitive South Group.

Banton's memorable exhibition of clean-hitting illuminated a packed Cooper Associates Ground, the 20-year-old opener scoring exactly 100 from 52 balls with 9 fours and 4 sixes as Somerset posted an imposing 206-8 in 20 overs after winning the toss.

Required to score at 10.85 an over, no Kent batsman managed to raise 50 as the visitors subsided to 151 all out in 18.4 overs, their reply undone by Craig Overton's incisive return of 3-32.

Somerset lost Pakistani batsman Babar Azam and veteran campaigner James Hildreth early on, but there was simply no stopping Banton, who went to his fourth 50 of the campaign from 27 balls. He was afforded a life on 57 when Adam Milne, stationed at mid-wicket, fumbled a catch, much to the chagrin of South African paceman Hardus Viljoen.

Banton made good his escape, smiting Nabi over long-on for six to register his best-ever T20 score, eclipsing the 71 he made against Surrey at the same venue eight days earlier.

^{Tom Banton scored his first T20 Blast ton}

He found a willing ally in Tom Abell, who hit the ground running and matched his young partner blow-for-blow in a whirlwind partnership of 102 in 8.5 overs for the third wicket.   

Banton required a further 24 balls to go from 50 to three figures, realising his maiden T20 hundred in the grand manner, hoisting Daniel Bell-Drummond over square leg for his fourth maximum.

The applause of an appreciative audience still ringing in his ears, Banton was out next ball, undone by Bell-Drummond, who then pinned Eddie Byrom lbw later in the same over. When Tom Lammonby was comprehensively bowled by Milne for two in the 18th over, Somerset were 179-5 and in danger of squandering a position of strength.

It was left to Abell to pick up the cudgels, Somerset's captain surpassing his previous highest score of 57 before driving Viljoen high to Zak Crawley at mid-off for 63. His high-octane innings spanned 33 balls and was adorned with 6 fours and 2 sixes.

Overton and Tim Groenewald came and went quickly thereafter, but not before Somerset had exceeded 200 for a third match in succession.

Crawley afforded Kent's reply early impetus, striking 35 from 24 balls in an opening stand of 50 in 5.2 overs with Bell-Drummond before driving Jerome Taylor to cover.

Somerset left-arm seamer Tom Lammonby struck a crucial blow, inducing danger-man Heino Kuhn to hit straight to long-off for 20 with the score on 89 in the 11th over.

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Overton then took centre stage, claiming three wickets in five balls in accounting for Bell-Drummond, Sam Billings and Nabi and reducing the visitors to 1-2-5 in the 13th over.

Alex Blake and Viljoen sussumbed to Max Waller's leg breaks, while Lammonby effected two run outs to send back Ollie Robinson and Fred Klaassen as the Spitfires folded.

Milne then fell to Taylor in the 19th over, signalling the end of the road for second-in-the-table Kent, who now lead Somerset by just two points.

Courtesy of the ECB reporters network

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