Australia’s Test allrounder displayed his T20 wares with a stunning hundred for Warwickshire
Test allrounder Beau Webster has become the top scorer in this season’s domestic T20 tournament in England, smashing his first-ever T20 century for Warwickshire to help them beat Somerset.
On the Taunton ground much beloved by batters the world over, the 32-year-old cracked 112 off just 61 balls, decorated with nine fours and seven sixes, as the Bears blitzed their way to a six-wicket triumph on Sunday (Monday AEST).
Webster, the ‘Slug from Snug’ who’s quickly become as popular with his Midlands County as he is back home in Tasmania, must have been a mite frustrated to miss out on three figures a week ago when he was caught on 97 trying to clear the ropes against Northamptonshire at Edgbaston.
But he made no mistake this time, taking a single off fellow Aussie Daniel Sams as Warwickshire tried to chase down Somerset’s 4-215, which had been centred on Jordan Hermann’s unbeaten 90.
Webster, who had earlier taken the key wicket of England batter Tom Banton in his one over that went for 14, dominated a stand of 145 in 12.5 overs with Dan Mousley (71no) in the chase.
Reasonably sedate as he got to his half-century off 35 deliveries, the rain started and, struggling with the wet ball, Somerset’s bowlers were then treated mercilessly by Webster, who needed just 19 more balls to get to his century off 54.
Somerset, with Sams taking 0-29, were relieved when Lewis Gregory finally had Webster caught at long-off with 25 still needed off 13 balls, but Mousley saw them home with Chris Woakes.
“It was a great win for the boys, we needed it,” said Webster of the Birmingham-based Bears, who’d lost their previous five matches and will struggle to advance in the Blast.
“We’ve been pretty poor. I think everyone can put their hand up on that, but we’re going really well in the County Championship (in second place).
“We can take plenty of momentum from this.”
Webster hasn’t been poor, though. He’s now the top-scorer in the Blast with 288 runs in his six knocks, at an average of 48, and he’s the second-most prolific six-hitter with 14, behind only Derbyshire’s big-hitting Aneurin Donald.
Another Aussie batter in good form is Sussex veteran Daniel Hughes, who hit two County Championship hundreds in successive matches and has been solid in the T20 Blast too, guiding the home side to a seven-wicket win over Kent at Hove on Sunday with an anchor-role knock of 41no off 37 balls in their 3-135.
