Somerset book Essex clash in Bob Willis Trophy final at Lord's

In the straight shoot-out to qualify from the Central Group, Josh Davey takes 3-16 as Worcestershire fail in their pursuit of 245

New Road (fourth day of four): Worcestershire 200 & 184 v Somerset 251 & 193 - Somerset won by 60 runs

Scorecard

Somerset are back at Lord’s for the second successive summer after defeating Worcestershire by 60 runs at Blackfinch New Road to seal a spot in the Bob Willis Trophy final.

The Royal London One-Day Cup holders set the home side a 245 target and dismissed them for 184 mid-way through the afternoon session. 

Lewis Gregory and Josh Davey with three wickets apiece were the main architects of Worcestershire’s downfall today but it was another impressive team performance and put the icing on a hugely successful Trophy campaign.

Somerset won four of their five matches and were only denied almost certain victory by the rain in the other match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston. 

Their tally of 97 points is comfortably the highest by any county. 

The bedrock of their success with the ball have been Craig Overton and Davey with a combined tally of more than 50 wickets in the competition.

Tom Abell (352 runs) and first innings century-maker Tom Lammonby (343) have been the main contributors with the bat amongst a total of five different century-makers.

Worcestershire can take great heart from their performances in the competition after two dismal seasons of red ball cricket in which they were relegated from Division One of the County Championship and then finished ninth in Division Two.

They won two and drew the other two in their opening four games and to be in contention themselves for a Lord’s final right to the final day of the group stages represents healthy progression in that format of the game.

^{Ben Box top-scored for the Pears but their tilt at the final ended in disappointment}

It is a reward for the greater emphasis placed on improving at four-day cricket by Head Coach Alex Gidman during the past 12 months. 

They have also provided the leading run-scorer in the competition in Jake Libby with 498 runs in instantly justifying his recruitment from Nottinghamshire on a three-year contract.

Worcestershire resumed in gloomy light and, following a short interruption, England paceman Lewis Gregory trapped Tom Fell (20) after he looked to work a delivery to leg.

Jack Haynes (30) was guilty of a misjudgment against Josh Davey and offered no shot as he was leg before for 30 with the total 96 for 4 in the 44th over.

Riki Wessels brought the 100 up with a lofted off-drive for four off Jack Brooks but then tamely surrendered his wicket to Davey.

He straight drove him to the boundary but then on nine tried to pull the next ball - a shortish delivery - and only succeeded in picking out Eddie Byrom at mid-wicket.

The scales tipped firmly in Somerset’s favour when Brett D’Oliveira (28) went lbw to the last ball before lunch after Overton returned to the attack.

But skipper Joe Leach and Ben Cox counter-attacked effectively in adding 44 before the former on 17 became the fourth lbw victim of the day – this time to Jack Brooks.

Dillon Pennington (4) departed in the same manner and the game was wrapped up when Cox (32) was caught behind off Davey.

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