Somerset secure semi-final
October 06, 2011 09:27:16 UK
Somerset will carry the English challenge into the Champions Twenty20 League semi-finals after a 12-run win over Warriors.
Their excellent captain Alfonso Thomas bowled a vital 19th over which created the opportunity for his team to close out a victory which eventually saw them win Group B of the Nokia competition.
Craig Kieswetter held the Taunton side together with an unbeaten 56 while Roelof van der Merwe made 32 and Jos Buttler 30 in the Somerset total of 146-4. In view of the game that followed, defending that total with a little to spare was a notable achievement.
Murali Kartik with 2-23 put the brakes on in the middle overs and then after an expensive six balls from Steve Kirby the captain returned to calm matters down. He dismissed Craig Thyssen and Wayne Parnell and conceded just four runs in the 19th over to finish with 2-16. Van der Merwe rubbed salt into his countrymen's wounds with a wicket in the final over and Somerset won by 12 runs at the end to clinch their place in the last four.
They will now move across to Chennai for the second of the two semi-finals on Saturday and meet up with the Mumbai Indians. Ironically it is a clash between two sides that have progressed despite managing a negative net run rate.
Somerset are 4.50 to win the tournament, while the Mumbai Indians can be backed at 2.10.
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Somerset would obviously be pleased to meet anyone in the last four but they appear to be meeting the weakest side and one without any really explosive players. Their one defeat came courtesy of a thunderous innings from Chris Gayle and they will be confident of making the final.
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