Taunton mein ek aur T20 Blast match, aur ek baar phir Somerset ke fans ke dil toot gaye. Lancashire ne, Ailsa Lister ke dam par, akhiri over mein 4 wicket se jeet haasil ki. Yeh match itna kareeb tha ki dil ki dhadkan ruk si gayi thi – Lancashire ko akhiri 9 balls mein 8 runs chahiye the, aur Charlie Dean, Somerset ki star spinner, ne apne 4 wickets se unhe pareshan kar rakha tha. Par Lister, jo 19 balls mein 28 runs banakar unbeaten rahi, ne apne cool temperament se Lancashire ko jeet dilayi. Haan, Charlie Dean ke 4 wickets for 9 runs kaafi impressive the, par kya yeh kaafi tha? Lagta hai nahi, kyunki Somerset phir bhi haar gaya.
Yeh match dekhkar yaad aata hai 2019 ka woh World Cup final, jab England aur New Zealand ke beech super over tak baat gayi thi. Us match mein bhi akhiri moments mein nerves ka khel tha, aur jeet uski hui jo thodi si zyada himmat dikha saka. Lancashire ke liye Lister ne wahi kiya – jab sab kuch khatam lag raha tha, usne apne aap ko sambhala aur apni team ko finish line tak le gayi. Somerset ke bowlers, khaas kar Charlie Dean, ne apna poora dum lagaya, par cricket mein ek chhoti si galti bhi bhaari pad sakti hai. Dean ka yeh performance yaad dilata hai 2005 ke Ashes mein Shane Warne ke us spell ka, jab unhone England ke batsmen ko pareshan kiya, par phir bhi Australia haar gaya. Aisa hi kuch Somerset ke saath hua – ek shandaar bowling performance, par result? Wohi purani kahani.26⁊
Ab baat karte hain Somerset ki. Yeh team, jo hamesha se thodi underrated rehti hai, har baar dil jeet leti hai apne passion aur fight se. Unka yeh season ab tak thoda bekaar raha hai, jaisa ki web sources kehte hain – 3 losses aur ek match barish mein dho gaya. Par isme koi shak nahi ki unke paas talent hai. Fran Wilson ne 57 runs banaye hain is season mein, aur Ellie Anderson ke 4 wickets bhi unke liye ek highlight hain. Yeh team apne ghar, Cooper Associates County Ground, mein hamesha aggressive cricket khelti hai, aur yeh match bhi usi spirit ka hissa tha. Unhone Lancashire ko 96/4 par laakar almost jeet hi li thi, par cricket, jaise zindagi, kabhi kabhi unfair hota hai.
Lancashire ki taraf se Emma Lamb ne bhi 32 runs banaye, par yeh Lister hi thi jisne spotlight chura liya. Unka yeh performance thoda sa uss iconic 2003 T20 World Cup ke semi-final jaisa tha, jahan Australia ke Andy Bichel ne South Africa ke khilaaf akhiri overs mein match palat diya tha. Lister ka yeh 28* runs kaafi had tak match ka turning point raha. Par Somerset ke liye yeh ek aur mauka tha jo haath se nikal gaya. Unke fans ko yaad hoga 2024 ka woh T20 Blast quarter-final, jahan Tom Banton aur Tom Kohler-Cadmore ne century partnership banayi thi Northants ke khilaaf, aur Somerset ne jeet kar Finals Day mein jagah banayi thi. Aisa laga tha ki is baar bhi wahi jazba dikhega, par afsos, aisa hua nahi.
Somerset ke liye yeh match ek chhota sa boost bhi tha. Charlie Dean ka yeh spell unhe yaad dilayega ki woh bhi bade teams ke barabar lad sakte hain. Unke young players, jaise Niamh Holland aur Amelie Munday, is tarah ke matches se seekhenge aur aage badhenge. Yeh team chhoti ho sakti hai, par inka dil bada hai. Taunton ka yeh ground, jo 2024 mein T20 ka highest scoring venue tha, Somerset ke liye hamesha ek fortress raha hai. Is baar bhi unhone almost kar diya, par “almost” hi cricket mein sabse bada dard hota hai.
