Will Smeed offers latest sign of precocious talent

Twenty-year-old Smeed blasted eight sixes and six fours in a memorable exhibition

Taunton: Glamorgan 173-7, Somerset 174-1 - Somerset win by nine wickets

Scorecard

Will Smeed gave another reminder of his precocious talent with a scintillating 94 not out from just 41 balls as Somerset returned to winning ways in the Vitality Blast with a nine-wicket trouncing of Glamorgan at Taunton.

The visitors posted 173 for 7 after losing the toss, former Somerset player Eddie Byrom top-scoring with 37 off 26 balls and Devonian allrounder Ben Green claiming career-best figures of 5 for 29.

In reply, Somerset openers Smeed and Tom Banton (45) put together a superb stand of exactly 100, from 9.2 overs, paving the way for a comprehensive win with 5.5 overs to spare.

Twenty-year-old Smeed blasted eight sixes and six fours in a memorable exhibition. The result left Somerset riding high, with four wins from their opening five group matches, while for Glamorgan it was a third defeat in five games.

David Lloyd and Sam Northeast gave Glamorgan the platform for a decent total after the match start had been delayed half an hour by a wet outfield.

No overs were lost and the opening pair were soon enjoying a true batting surface, taking the total to 49 in the final over of the initial powerplay before Lloyd was caught at short third-man for 31, made off 20 balls.

The wicket-taker was Craig Overton, back with Somerset having been omitted by England for the first Test against New Zealand. He went on to bowl three overs and finished with 1 for 17.

Lewis Gregory claimed the key wicket of Marnus Labuschagne, caught third ball off a mistimed pull shot for only a single to make it 50 for 2.

Somerset then applied pressure in the middle overs through Gregory, Green and the left-arm spin of Roelof van der Merwe. Northeast was unable to accelerate and had made 19 off 25 balls when caught at long-off.

^{Smeed smashed 94 off just 41 balls (Harry Trump/Getty Images)}

The same Green over, the 11th of the innings had accounted for Kiran Carlson, pouched at midwicket for 28, having just struck Green for six over long-on. Northeast's departure left Glamorgan 87 for 4. Byrom and Chris Cooke added 37 before the latter was caught at mid-off to give his third wicket.

The other two came in the penultimate over of the innings courtesy of perfect yorkers which bowled first Byrom, whose return to Taunton had yielded two sixes and four fours, and then James Weighell, whose stumps were scattered first ball.

Glamorgan's total appeared below par, particularly when Smeed and Banton launched a savage assault that put 61 runs on the board by the end of the six-over powerplay.

Smeed hit sixes over midwicket off Michael Hogan, Weighell and Micheal Neser, plus a cracker over cover off Dan Douthwaite, while Banton, short of runs in the opening group games, collected maximums off Douthwaite and Weighell.

Smeed brought up the century stand and his own fifty off 27 balls in the tenth over, which saw Banton caught and bowled by left-arm spinner Prem Sisodiya, having faced 30 deliveries and hit three sixes and three fours.

There was no way back for Glamorgan. Smeed smashed experienced seamer Hogan for four, four, six, four in the 11th over before the in-form Rilee Rossouw joined in, clearing the ropes off successive deliveries from Sisodiya.

Smeed then hit sixes off successive balls from Labuschagne and was well supported by Rossouw (30 not out) as Somerset quickly atoned for their first group defeat by Sussex Sharks.

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