Somerset secured their place in the Vitality Blast final with a steel-nerved 23-run win over Lancashire Lightning in the first semi-final at Edgbaston.
Match Analysis
By Brian Halford, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Somerset (182 for seven) beat Lancashire Lightning (159 all out) by 23 runs
Put in, Somerset totalled 182 for seven with only Tom Kohler-Cadmore, 81 from 52 balls, mastering a Lightning attack led by Tom Hartley (4-0-24-1) and George Balderson (3-0-31-3).
The score looked only about par but Lewis Gregory’s side defended it with enormous skill and energy. Lancashire fell short on 159 all out as Keaton Jennings scored 44 (28) but Somerset bowled accurately (Migael Pretorious three for 27) and fielded superbly to squeeze the chase into submission.
Somerset will face Hampshire or Northamptonshire in the final this evening.
Lightning chose to bowl and started strongly. The second over, from Tom Aspinwall, was that Blast rarity, a maiden and the first ball of the third over, from Balderson, bowled Will Smeed.
Kohler-Cadmore and Tom Abell sparked the innings into life with a stand of 43 in 23 balls. Abell lapped James Anderson for an audacious six but the bowler gained his revenge when Abell (26, 14) played on. James Rew soon followed when he flicked Aspinwall to mid-wicket.
Semi-final hero Sean Dickson was slickly stumped by Matty Hurst when he charged and missed a cut at Hartley. Lewis Gregory lifted Anderson to deep extra and Somerset were grateful for the ballast of Kohler-Cadmore. He reached a 38-ball half-century. hit four sixes and six fours and was within 19 of the first ever Finals Day century when he skewed an attempted straight hit at Balderson to wide long on.
That left Somerset on 154 with ten balls left and needing some late fireworks. Craig Overton and Pretorius provided them by smashing 21 from the last over by Aspinwall.
Lightning’s reply started with fireworks – 22 from the first eight balls – before Luke Wells was brilliantly caught by Pretorius at short fine leg off Gregory and Overton pinned Hurst lbw. Jennings and Liam Livingstone powered Lightning to 73 from the powerplay but the next three overs brough just six runs.
Ben Green conceded three from the seventh over. In the eighth, Jennings skied Goldsworth and Kohler-Cadmore judged a tricky catch perfectly, running round from long on. The ninth, from Pretorius, yielded just two runs and at halfway, Lightning were 93 for three with the game perfectly poised.
The pivotal moment followed when Livingstone (29, 19) fell lbw to Gregory, departing in angst and leaving nobody in any doubt that he felt he had hit the ball. Arav Shetty drove Green to extra cover and, as Somerset’s seamers tightened their grip, the required run-rate rose: 64 were needed from the last five overs with five wickets down.
Successive sixes by Michael Jones off Pretorius kept Lightning in the hunt but another fine catch, by Overton at long on, in the same over did for Jack Blatherwick and Somerset closed out victory with relentless efficiency.
Somerset batter Tom Kohler-Cadmore said:
“It was a little bit tough up top but then Abes came on and took the pressure off me with a great innings. We got up to a good total thanks to a great last over and then the boys bowled really well.
“They had a strong powerplay with the bat but often it’s the next eight overs that can be more difficult and our bowlers did really well through that period. That really changed the game.
“It is a great achievement to get to the final with seven or eight fully homegrown players. The friendship in this group is amazing, I’ve never known anything like it. You know when you go out there that every single one of the guys, the players, the backroom staff, the office staff and everyone, is right behind you.
“There is so much love there and that really helps you go out there and express yourself and play your best cricket.”
Lancashire captain Keaton Jennings said:
“Somerset were the better team. I think we were short with the bat, ball and in the field. We didn’t quite execute in a lot areas, we misfielded and have only got ourselves to blame
.”At halfway we felt they had scored no more than par. It is a big ground and we felt that we could access all corners of it so we certainly didn’t feel that it was over par and we were maybe ten, 15 runs ahead of them until probably the last four overs.
“We were still ahead of the game with maybe seven overs left but that’s the point at which they accelerated and we didn’t quite have the same acceleration. It’s a disappointing day. It’s a day when you want to be part of the final but we’re going back to the hotel.
Re the Livingstone lbw decision
“There’s not a clear gap between bat and pad, in my opinion and the opinion of a lot of guys who have played a lot of cricket. I don’t think the correct decision was made. I don’t believe you can categorically make that decision when there are so many spikes in and around the ball. There is no clear gap between pat and pad. That was disappointing but ultimately we lost because, as a team, we let ourselves down today.”
Match Summary
Lancashire vs Somerset, 1st Semi-Final, Vitality Blast
Lancashire 159/10 (19.5 ov)
Somerset 182/7 (20 ov)
Somerset won by 23 runs
SCORECARD
Manhattan
For a third year in a row, Somerset are Vitality Blast finalists! ?? pic.twitter.com/Sp8LbJpzKN
— Vitality Blast (@VitalityBlast) September 13, 2025
Match Stats
Somerset Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Will Smeed – 2.1 ov), 2-49 (Tom Abell – 5.6 ov), 3-62 (James Rew – 7.4 ov), 4-93 (Sean Dickson – 12.1 ov), 5-150 (Lewis Gregory – 17.2 ov), 6-154 (Tom Kohler-Cadmore – 18.2 ov), 7-161 (Ben Green – 18.6 ov)
Lancashire Fall of wickets: 1-22 (Luke Wells – 1.3 ov), 2-35 (Matthew Hurst – 2.5 ov), 3-78 (Keaton Jennings – 7.4 ov), 4-102 (Liam Livingstone – 11.5 ov), 5-110 (Arav Shetty – 14.1 ov), 6-142 (Jack Blatherwick – 16.4 ov), 7-152 (George Balderson – 18.1 ov), 8-152 (Tom Hartley – 18.2 ov), 9-158 (Michael Jones – 19.3 ov), 10-159 (Tom Aspinwall – 19.5 ov)
Runrate
Playing XI
Lancashire
Somerset
Match Details:
Date: Saturday, September 13, 2025 11:00
Venue: Edgbaston, Birmingham
Toss: Lancashire elected to bowl
Umpires: Michael Gough (England) James Middlebrook (England) Sue Redfern (England TV)
Match Referee: Will Smith (England)
© Cricket World 2025
