Middlesex ne socha tha ki 229 runs bana ke woh Somerset ko hara denge? Arre, itna bada score banaya aur phir bhi haar gaye! Taunton ke Cooper Associates County Ground pe yeh match ek run-fest tha, lekin Middlesex ke bowlers bas dekhte reh gaye jab Somerset ke batsmen ne unki dhajjiyaan uda di. Sean Dickson aur Lewis Gregory ne toh Middlesex ke bowlers ko aisa nachaya jaise koi T20 ka dance floor ho. Lekin chalo, shuruaat mein thodi si mazaak banayein, kyunki Middlesex ne socha tha ki unka score koi Himalaya jaisa hai, jisko koi paar nahi kar sakta. Par Somerset ne dikha diya ki unke liye yeh bas ek chhoti si pahaadi thi.
Somerset ki batting line-up ne is match mein dikha diya ki woh kisi bhi target ko chase kar sakte hain, chahe kitna bhi bada kyun na ho. Sean Dickson, jo ek toote hue finger ke baad wapas aaye the, ne 38 balls mein 76 runs thok diye, jisme 5 sixes aur 6 fours shamil the. Unka yeh performance yaad dilata hai 2019 ke World Cup mein Ben Stokes ke uss iconic innings ka, jab England ne New Zealand ke against ek impossible chase ko possible kiya tha. Dickson ka confidence aur aggressive batting style dekh ke lagta hai ki woh Middlesex ke bowlers ke dimaag mein ghar kar gaye honge. Aur phir Lewis Gregory, Somerset ke captain, ne 23 balls mein 58 not out banaye, jisme 6 sixes the! Yeh innings kisi T20 dream sequence se kam nahi thi. Gregory ka yeh performance uss legendary 2007 T20 World Cup ke Yuvraj Singh ke 6 sixes waale over ki yaad dilata hai, jab unhone Stuart Broad ko chhaka chhod diya tha.
Middlesex ke liye yeh match ek wake-up call tha. Unhone 229 for 5 banaye, jo Taunton mein kisi bhi visiting team ka highest T20 score tha. Max Holden ne 47 balls mein 87 not out aur Ben Geddes ne 32 balls mein 69 runs banaye, jisme 7 sixes the. Lekin unke bowlers, jaise Noah Cornwell aur Luke Hollman, Somerset ke batsmen ke aage bilkul bebas dikhe. Cornwell ne 2 wickets liye, lekin 36 runs bhi de daale. Yeh thodi si wahi kahani hai jab 2011 mein Mumbai Indians ne IPL mein bada score banaya tha, lekin Chennai Super Kings ne unko chase kar ke dikha diya ki bade scores bhi kabhi kabhi kaafi nahi hote.
Somerset ka yeh jeet unke Vitality Blast 2025 campaign mein chauthi jeet thi, aur yeh dikhaata hai ki woh ek chhoti si team hote hue bhi bade dikhne waale opponents ko hara sakte hain. Taunton ka ground, jo T20 cricket mein high-scoring matches ke liye jaana jaata hai, ek baar phir se ek thrilling chase ka gawah bana. Somerset ke fans ke liye yeh match ek jashn tha, kyunki unki team ne na sirf Middlesex ke bowlers ko haraaya, balki unke arrogance ko bhi tooda. Yeh wahi Somerset hai jo 2023 mein Vitality Blast ke semi-finals tak pahunchi thi, aur ab lagta hai ki woh is baar trophy ke aur kareeb hain.
Lekin thodi si khichayi bhi toh banta hai. Middlesex ke bowlers ko kya hua tha? Itna bada score defend nahi kar sake! Aur Somerset, yeh toh maan na padega ki unhone chase shandaar kiya, par kabhi kabhi yeh soch ke dar lagta hai ki agar ek catch ya ek run-out ho jaata, toh shayad yeh kahani alag hoti. Cricket mein yeh uncertainty hi toh mazedaar hai, lekin Middlesex ke fans ke liye yeh match ek chhota sa dil tootne waala moment tha. Agli baar, shayad Middlesex apne bowlers ke saath thodi si strategy banaye, warna Somerset jaise underdogs unhe phir se rula denge.
