Ek zabardast T20 dhamake mein, Somerset ne 1 June 2025 ko Chelmsford ke Ambassador Cruise Line Ground pe Essex ko aath wicket se patak diya, Vitality Blast Men’s 2025 South Group match mein. Will Smeed ne 81 run maar ke naa out rehkar match ko apni jeb mein daal liya, aur Essex ke 148 run ke target ko 25 ball baaki rehkar hi hila diya. Somerset ne apni women’s team ke haar ka badla bhi le liya, jo din ke pehle match mein Essex Women se 65 run se haari thi. Essex ke Dean Elgar aur Matt Critchley ne half-century thoki, par unki team ka top aur tail order dharaayi, aur woh game mein bilkul patak gaye.
Essex ka Innings: Shuruaat aur Ant mein Dhamaal
Essex ne toss jeetkar pehle batting chuni, par shuruaat hi kharaab hui. Opener Adam Rossington pehli hi ball pe zero pe out, Craig Overton ki ball ko wicketkeeper ke haath mein de maara. Michael Pepper ne hook shot maar ke top-edge kiya, aur Paul Walter ko Thomas Rew ne deep midwicket pe ek zabardast ek-haath ka catch pakad ke pavillion bheja. Essex ka score 45 pe 4 wicket gir gaya tha.
Dean Elgar, jo pehle Somerset ke liye khel chuka hai, aur Matt Critchley ne 83 run ki partnership karke thodi ummeed jagayi. Elgar ne cool dimaag se 50 run banaye, aur Critchley ne bhi aggressive 50 thoka, boundaries ke saath. Par yahan se game phir palat gaya. Critchley ka run-out ek no-ball ke confusion mein hua, aur phir lower order bilkul bikhar gaya. Shane Snater ne 10 run banaye, baaki koi double-digit tak nahi pahuncha. Riley Meredith (2 for 18) aur captain Lewis Gregory (2 for 26) ne tail ko jhatke se saaf kiya. Ben Green ne 3 for 30 leke Essex ko 148 pe rok diya. Innings ke shuruaat aur ant mein collapse ne unka game bigaad diya.
Somerset ka Chase: Smeed ka Jalwa
149 ke target ka peecha karte hue, Somerset ke openers Will Smeed aur Tom Lammonby ne aag laga di. Smeed ne pehle over mein hi do chauke maar ke mood bana diya. Lammonby ne square leg ke upar ek lamba chhakka lagaya, aur dono ne 96 run ki opening partnership thok di. Smeed ne 26 ball pe fifty pura kiya, 8 four aur ek six ke saath, strike rate 150 ke kareeb. Uska 81 not out (54 ball, 12 boundaries) ekdum mast tha, har shot mein class dikha.
Lammonby 36 pe Critchley ke haath caught and bowled hua, aur Tom Kohler-Cadmore bhi slog-sweep khelte hue deep mein pakda gaya. Par ye wickets sirf naam ke liye the—Essex ke liye koi chance nahi tha. Smeed ne ek single leke match 15.5 over mein khatam kar diya, aur Somerset ne aath wicket se jeet hila li. X pe fans ne isse “Smeed ka dhamaka” kaha!
Key Players
- Will Smeed (Somerset): 81 not out (54 ball), 12 boundary ke saath. X pe log uske “jordaar” aur “clinical” knock ke deewane ho gaye.
- Dean Elgar (Essex): 50 run, team ko sambhalne ki koshish, par baaki support nahi mila.
- Matt Critchley (Essex): 50 run aur ek wicket, par run-out ne unka game kharaab kiya.
- Riley Meredith aur Ben Green (Somerset): Meredith ke 2 for 18 aur Green ke 3 for 30 ne Essex ko chhote score pe roka.
Match ka Scene aur Asar
Somerset ki ye doosri seedhi jeet thi 2025 Vitality Blast mein, 2024 ke runner-up finish ke baad. Chelmsford mein jeet unke liye aur bhi khaas thi, kyunki Essex Women ne Somerset Women ko pehle match mein hara diya tha. Essex ke liye ye doosra bada jhatka tha—pehle match mein Hampshire ne unhe 106 run se patak diya tha. Unki batting mein top aur tail order ki kami saaf dikhi, jabki Somerset ka balanced attack aur Smeed ka form unhe ekdum dangerous bana raha hai.
Batting ka Chart: Dekho Kaun Kitna Thoka
Yeh bar chart dikhata hai dono teams ke main batsmen ke run:
Yeh chart dikhata hai ki Smeed ne kaise Essex ke top batsmen ko peechhe chhoda, aur batting mein kitna farak tha.
Fans aur X ka Hungama
X pe Somerset ke fans ne khoob dhoom machayi. @SomersetCCC ne Smeed ke 50 (26 ball) aur 81 not out ko “zabardast” kaha. @JaayShaan ne Green aur Meredith ki bowling aur Smeed ke “match-winner” knock ki tareef ki. @CleaveO ne Somerset ke chase ko “ekdum ruthless” bola. Yeh posts dikhate hain ki Somerset ka momentum kitna high hai.
Aage Kya?
Essex ko apni batting ki kami door karni hogi, khaas kar powerplay aur death overs mein. Agle matches mein unhe jaldi recover karna hoga, warna South Group mein peechhe reh jayenge. Somerset ka form ekdum top pe hai, Smeed ke saath Tom Banton, Craig Overton, aur Riley Meredith jaisi firepower ke saath. Vitality Blast ka tezi bhara mahaul dono teams ke liye challenge hai, par Somerset abhi ekdum aage dikhta hai.
