Latest news with #WillSmeed
BBC News
09-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Smeed on a 'different level' - Kohler-Cadmore
Somerset batter Will Smeed has progressed to a "different level" this season, team-mate Tom Kohler-Cadmore says. Smeed is the T20 Blast's leading run-scorer this season with 428, adding another 32 runs to his total as Somerset beat Essex in the T20 Blast to secure their spot in the hit 90 off 39 balls during the victory, dominating stands of 88 and 55 with Smeed and Tom Abell in his highest T20 score for Somerset."Smeedy's gone to a different level this year, he's adding and adding to his game and his consistency this year has been great to see," he told BBC Radio Bristol. Smeed is playing in all formats of the game this season, having been on a white-ball only contract with Somerset in 2023 and has played in all 11 Blast matches for Somerset, with a batting average of 47.55 and strike rate of 147.07, and has also hit 15 sixes, including two on Tuesday night at the County Ground."It's always fun batting with him because I know the bowlers are under so much pressure when he's on strike that it almost seems that they give me some easier balls," Kohler-Cadmore said."Also I feel like he's adapted to be able to rotate as well, I think we've seen that in some of his previous knocks - Gloucester away - he's really maturing and taking the game deep and winning us matches so batting with him is always fun." 'Real team performance' Kolher-Cadmore also praised Abell for also being "outstanding" during the Essex win as Somerset extended their lead at the top of the South Group table, 12 points clear of Surrey who have played two games fewer."That's one thing that we look at as a team is how well we're actually contributing," he said. "It's not always an individual having a great night it's how do I contribute and get that guy on strike, or keep the team going forward, and I felt his [Abell's] knock was just as crucial."Somerset won the 2023 Blast title but were beaten in the final last season by neighbours Gloucestershire. They have three group matches remaining away to Kent and Surrey on 11 and 13 July, and then at home to Gloucestershire on 18 July before a break until the quarter-finals in the first week of September."If we perform anything like we can, we can beat any team in this division and in this competition," Kohler-Cadmore."It's making sure we keep putting our performances in and keep building towards the back end of the tournament."
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Somerset seal Blast quarter final berth with victory over Essex
Tom Kohler-Cadmore smashed a brilliant half century to propel Somerset to a convincing 95-run victory over Essex Eagles at the Cooper Associates Ground and guarantee the runaway South Group leaders a place in the quarter-finals of the Vitality Blast, writes Andrew Stockhausen, ECB Reporters' Network. In scintillating form beneath the Taunton floodlights, the 30-year-old right hander staged a breathtaking innings of 90 from just 39 balls, striking 8 fours and 7 sixes and dominating stands of 88 and 55 with Will Smeed and Tom Abell for the second and third wickets respectively as Somerset ran up an imposing 225-6 after Essex had won the toss. Smeed scored 32, Sean Dickson weighed in with 28 not out and, amid the carnage, Mohammad Amir emerged as the only Essex bowler to escape punishment, the Pakistan international returning stand-out figures of 3-22 from four overs. Advertisement Undermined by overseas bowlers Matt Henry and Riley Meredith, who claimed 4-21 and 2-22 respectively, the Essex chase came up well short as the visitors were dismissed for 130 in 14.1 overs, Noah Thain top-scoring with 38. This latest victory moves Somerset 12 points clear of nearest rivals Surrey, while Essex remain rooted to the foot of the South Group after suffering a ninth defeat in 11 games. Read more: Tom Banton looked as though he meant business, plundering three boundaries at the expense of debutant Charlie Bennett to move to 15 in quick time, only to then chip Mohammad Amir to mid-on in the third over as Somerset lost their first wicket with 21 on the board. There was no loss of momentum though, Kohler-Cadmore and Smeed taking 16 off the next over, sent down by Noah Thain, while Bennett again proved expensive when switching to the River End and Paul Walter conceded 19 off the sixth as Somerset raced to 67-1 by the end of the powerplay. Essex turned to spin in an attempt to stem the flow, but Kohler-Cadmore continued to trade in boundaries, smiting a brace of sixes off successive deliveries from Matt Critchley and then straight hitting Luc Benkenstein for another to raise a blistering 24-ball half century in the grand manner. Advertisement The visitors did little to help themselves, Bennett dropping Smeed on 20 at deep mid-wicket off the bowling of Critchley as the 8th over hemorrhaged 20 runs. Smeed had contributed 32 to a stand of 88 from 44 balls when he hit Benkenstein to long-off as the home side reached halfway on 114-2. There was no let-up in the scoring rate, Kohler-Cadmore applying further pressure by hoisting Benkenstein for a towering six over long-off as the Essex bowling wilted in the face of heavy firepower. Kohler-Cadmore was within 10 runs of what would have been a magnificent hundred when a loss of concentration saw him hit Simon Harmer high to long-off to afford Essex overdue relief. Critchley removed Abell for 20, but there was precious little breathing space for the visitors, Sean Dickson and Lewis Gregory picking up the cudgels in a stand of 28 from 12 balls. Dickson was still there at the end, unbeaten on 28 made from 17 balls. Required to score at 12.5 an over, Essex made a decent enough start, Walter taking Craig Overton for a six and a brace of fours in a first over that yielded 15 runs. But Meredith redressed the balance, clean bowling the swinging Michael Pepper with 28 on the board in the third. Advertisement Somerset struck another blow in the next over, Ben Green taking a startling diving catch at long-on to send back Jordan Cox and give Henry a wicket on his final appearance before returning to New Zealand, while Meredith accounted for Charlie Allison. Henry then struck twice in three balls, removing Walter for 24 and Benkenstein without scoring to reduce Essex to 48-5, their prospects of pulling off an unlikely victory in tatters before the powerplay had even ended. Critchley was then run out by Abell's direct hit and Lewis Goldsworthy had Robin Das held on the deep mid-wicket boundary with the score 81-7 as the home side exerted a vice-like grip on proceedings. Only Thain attempted to carry the fight to Somerset, the England Under-19 international crashing a four and 4 sixes in a defiant innings of 38 off 17 balls. His dismissal - caught by Henry at long-on off the bowling of Overton - signalled the end of meaningful Essex resistance.
BBC News
08-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Somerset overpower Essex to reach Blast quarter-finals
Tom Kohler-Cadmore smashed a brilliant half century to propel Somerset to a convincing 95-run victory over Essex Eagles and guarantee the runaway South Group leaders a place in the T20 Blast scintillating form beneath the Taunton floodlights, the 30-year-old right hander played a breathtaking innings of 90 from just 39 balls, striking eight fours and seven sixes and dominating stands of 88 and 55 with Will Smeed and Tom ran up an imposing 225-6 and, amid the carnage, Mohammad Amir emerged as the only Essex bowler to escape punishment, the Pakistan left-armer returning stand-out figures of 3-22 from four by overseas bowlers Matt Henry and Riley Meredith, who claimed 4-21 and 2-22 respectively, the Essex chase came up well short as the visitors were dismissed for 130 in 14.1 overs, Noah Thain top-scoring with 38. The victory moved Somerset 12 points clear of nearest rivals Surrey, while Essex remain rooted to the foot of the table after a ninth defeat in 11 games. Tom Banton looked as though he meant business, plundering three boundaries at the expense of debutant Charlie Bennett to move to 15 in quick time, only to then chip Amir to mid-on in the third over as Somerset lost their first wicket with 21 on the board. There was no loss of momentum though, with Kohler-Cadmore and Smeed taking 16 off the next over, sent down by Thain, while Bennett again proved expensive when switching to the River End and Paul Walter conceded 19 off the sixth as Somerset raced to 67-1 by the end of the turned to spin in an attempt to stem the flow, but Kohler-Cadmore struck a brace of sixes off successive deliveries from Matt Critchley and hit Luc Benkenstein straight for another to raise a blistering 24-ball half century in the grand visitors did little to help themselves, Bennett dropping Smeed on 20 at deep mid-wicket off the bowling of had contributed 32 to a stand of 88 from 44 balls when he hit Benkenstein to long-off as the home side reached halfway on was no let-up in the scoring rate, Kohler-Cadmore applying further pressure by hoisting Benkenstein for a towering six over long-off as the Essex bowling wilted in the face of heavy firepower. Kohler-Cadmore was within 10 runs of what would have been a magnificent hundred when a loss of concentration saw him hit Simon Harmer high to long-off to afford Essex overdue removed Abell for 20, but there was precious little breathing space for the visitors, Sean Dickson and Lewis Gregory picking up the cudgels in a stand of 28 from 12 balls. Required to score at 12.5 an over, Essex made a decent enough start, Walter taking Craig Overton for a six and two fours in a first over that yielded 15 Meredith redressed the balance, clean bowling Michael Pepper with 28 on the board in the struck another blow in the next over, Ben Green taking a startling diving catch at long-on to send back Jordan Cox and give Henry a wicket on his final appearance before returning to New Zealand, while Meredith accounted for Charlie Allison. Henry then struck twice in three balls, removing Walter for 24 and Benkenstein without scoring to reduce Essex to 48-5, their prospects of pulling off an unlikely victory in tatters before the powerplay had even was run out by Abell's direct hit and Lewis Goldsworthy had Robin Das held on the deep mid-wicket boundary with the score Thain attempted to carry the fight to Somerset, crashing a four and four sixes in a defiant 17-ball innings of 38, but his dismissal - caught by Henry at long-on off the bowling of Overton - signalled the end of meaningful Essex by ECB Reporters' Network, supported by Rothesay Wednesday T20 Blast fixtures North GroupEdgbaston: Bears v Lancashire Lightning (19:00 BST start) South GroupNorthwood: Middlesex v Hampshire Hawks (17:00 BST)Bristol: Gloucestershire v Surrey (19:00 BST)Hove: Sussex Sharks v Kent Spitfires (19:00 BST)
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Somerset Men return to winning ways against Hampshire in the Blast
Lewis Gregory clubbed a brutal half century as Somerset defeated Hampshire Hawks by 17 runs at the Cooper Associates Ground to return to winning ways and move clear of Surrey at the top of the Vitality Blast South Group table, writes Andrew Stockhausen, ECB Reporter's Network. Will Smeed smashed 68 from 37 balls with nine fours and three sixes and dominated stands of 59 and 46 with Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Tom Abell for the second and third wickets respectively after Somerset had been put in beneath the Taunton floodlights. But the home side lost their way during the middle overs and were indebted to skipper Gregory, who clubbed a much-needed 55 from 27 balls with 4 fours and 4 sixes and staged a record-breaking seventh-wicket partnership of 82 with Lewis Goldsworthy to propel the cider county to 209-6. Veteran all-rounder Benny Howell claimed 2-12 and Liam Dawson 1-29 as the Hawks struggled to contain the South Group leaders. Advertisement James Vince raised a 30-ball 54 and South African hired hand Dewald Brevis crashed 36 from 16 deliveries, but Ben Green took 3-40 as Somerset took wickets at key moments to restrict Hawks to 192-7 and secure a sixth victory in seven outings in the short format this season. Put into bat, Somerset made a subdued start by their own high standards, Tom Banton falling cheaply to a tremendous catch on the run by Joe Weatherley at deep square leg off the bowling of Eddie Jack. Kohler-Cadmore encountered no such problems, taking 14 runs off the third over, bowled by James Fuller, as the home side reasserted themselves. Read more: Smeed was equally expansive, plundering three boundaries in one Jack over, while Kohler-Cadmore emulated that feat at the expense of Fuller in the next as the second wicket pair fashioned a half century partnership from just 23 balls in advancing the score to 68-1 at the end of the powerplay. Advertisement Hampshire's seamers held their nerve and Fuller provided relief, bowling Kohler-Cadmore for a 15-ball 29 in the seventh with the score 70-2. Kohler-Cadmore accrued a quartet of fours and a six, only to depart before he could inflict real damage. In his absence, Smeed picked up the cudgels, hoisting Fuller over mid-wicket for six and then straight-hitting the next ball for four to post 50 from 27 balls. Dawson's nagging accuracy notwithstanding, Somerset initially managed to maintain momentum during the crucial middle overs, Abell adopting the role of chief support to Smeed, who continued to trade in boundaries and put bowlers and fielders alike under pressure. He eventually succumbed, hitting Jack straight down the throat of Scott Currie at long-on as Somerset slipped to 116-3 in the eleventh. When Abell played across the line to Howell's first delivery and was bowled via an inside edge, the home side were 116-4 and Hampshire fancied they were right back in the contest, an impression that was confirmed in the thirteenth, Sean Dickson playing back to Dawson and watching the ball clatter into his stumps. Ben Green came and went quickly, holing out to long-on to provide the wily Howell with a second wicket as the flow of boundaries temporarily dried up and Somerset further subsided to 127-6 in the fourteenth. Gregory then took matters into his own hands, harvesting 25 off one Wood over as the seventh wicket alliance realised 50 in just 25 balls. Unleashing a barrage of sixes, Somerset's captain tucked into the seamers on his way to a high-octane 25-ball half century. His partnership with Goldsworthy, who finished unbeaten on 29 from 16 balls, was a Somerset record for the seventh wicket in T20 cricket, eclipsing the 67 made by Omari Banks and Ben Phillips at Northampton in 2008. Advertisement Living up to their formidable reputation, Hampshire openers Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Vince afforded the reply a super-charged start, posting 50 in 5.2 overs to force Somerset's seamers onto the back foot. Pugilistic in his approach, Pretorius struck 4 fours and a brace of sixes as the partnership advanced to 74 inside nine overs. Somerset needed a wicket and the ever-dependable Green obliged, luring Pretorius into front-foot indiscretion and having the South African held in the deep for 37. With the asking rate rising above 12 for the first time, Vince and new batsman Toby Albert looked to attack Goldsworthy. But the spinner defied their best attempts as the home side worked hard to restrict the supply of boundaries during the middle overs. Goldsworthy struck a telling blow in the twelfth, inducing Albert to hit high to long-off with the score 95-2 as the rate continued to climb. While Vince remained at large, Hampshire were in with a chance, and the England batter hoisted Green high over mid-wicket for six to raise 50 from 29 balls. He was out next ball, caught on the long-on boundary as Green further reduced the visitors to 107-3. South African dangerman Brevis and Weatherley opened their shoulders in a bid to put the chase back on track, but Somerset's bowlers remained disciplined in their lengths and the latter was run out by Riley Meredith for 15 with 75 still needed from five overs. Fuller attempted to match Brevis blow-for-blow, only to be undone by a Meredith yorker and fall for 11. Having struck 4 sixes and a four, Brevis then attempted to drive Green down the ground and skied a catch to Gregory at mid-off to signal the end of Hampshire's prospects in the eighteenth..
BBC News
21-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Somerset in Pictures: Heatwave and Glastonbury Festival prep
During the hottest week of the year in Somerset, Glastonbury Festival organisers have been sharing photographs of Worthy Farm as the site is were also two tense two cricket matches, which saw the county's men's and women's team people have been making the most of the hot weather, with one group photographing a family of goats at Cheddar a look at some of the best pictures of the week. Not long now: In four days, Worthy Farm will open its gate for this year's Glastonbury Festival. Ahead of the event, organisers have shared images of the site, including one with a huge peace sign in front of the Pyramid Stage. They said the image represented what their festival is all about, which is to celebrate the best of human endeavour. Ideals of peace, unity, respect and hope underpins all that they stand for, they added. Cricket season: Will Smeed of Somerset played during the Vitality Blast Men match between Somerset and Kent Spitfires at The Cooper Associates County Ground on 15 June. Bowling action: Charlie Dean of Somerset was captured in bowling action during the Vitality Blast Women match between Somerset and Hampshire Hawks at The Cooper Associates County Ground on 19 June. Hoofing around: A BBC Weather Watcher took a picture of these two goats hanging out on top of Cheddar Gorge in the sun. Full steam ahead: The Flying Scotsman will be taking people along the route between Bishops Lydeard and Minehead in will be four excursions per day, one way will be behind the Flying Scotsman, and one way will be behind a West Somerset Railway Home Fleet locomotive. Heatwave: The UK has recorded its hottest day of the year with temperatures passing 32C in the south east of England. Here in the West Country, some areas saw the mercury reach 30C on Thursday. Outstanding doctor: Local retired GP, Dr Harvey Sampson, has been awarded the prestigious British Empire Medal in the King's Birthday Honours list for nurses, therapist, and volunteer community first responder received awards for their hard work and dedication to helping people and communities across the NHS and health care settings.
