Vitality Blast Finals Day: Will Smeed helps Somerset complete record chase against Hampshire to claim victory

Will Smeed hit a brilliant 94 as Somerset completed a record Vitality Blast Finals Day chase to beat Hampshire by six wickets at Edgbaston on Saturday.

Chasing 195 for victory, Somerset's Smeed (94 off 58 balls) hit 14 boundaries to help his side get within touching distance before his captain Lewis Gregory (18no) hit a six over square leg to claim victory.

Gregory shared a match-winning 18-run partnership with Sean Dickson (33no) to get Somerset over the line with six balls to spare, posting 195-4 after winning the toss and electing to field.

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Earlier, Hampshire's captain James Vince (52) and Toby Albert (85) put on a 97-run stand for the second wicket to help the Hawks to 194-6.

Somerset's Jake Ball was the pick of the bowlers, taking a sublime one-handed catch in his follow-through to dismiss Hampshire's James Fuller (1).

However, the Hawks struggled to take regular wickets, allowing Somerset to equal Hampshire and Leicestershire as three-time T20 Blast winners.

Somerset make history on Finals Day

Somerset’s opener Tom Kohler-Cadmore (23) got his side off to a solid start, including hitting a huge six that flew out of the ground, before he was bowled by 22-year-old Sonny Baker (1-28).

Tom Abell (0) departed for a duck off James Fuller (1-20), and Scott Currie (2-44) removed James Rew (20) to leave Somerset 89-3.

Smeed then hit the Hampshire bowlers all over the ground, but Currie brought his brilliant cameo to an end too after he was caught in the deep by Vince, with Somerset still needing 18 runs off 11 balls.

Gregory then took matters into his own hands, hitting a four and two sixes to get the job done, as Hampshire struggled to find answers.

Hampshire's efforts in vain

Chris Lynn, who scored the first-ever Vitality Blast hundred in the semi-final to help Hampshire beat Northamptonshire, was dismissed in the third over by Craig Overton (1-35).

Vince notched his 81st half-century in T20 cricket in his partnership with Albert as the pair helped Hampshire set a record total.

Jake Ball (2-39) took a brilliant one-handed catch in his follow-through to see the end of James Fuller (1).

Somerset spinner Lewis Goldsworthy (1-28) removed Vince, but Albert persisted, hitting 10 boundaries and two sixes in his 48-ball cameo before he was bowled by Lewis Gregory (1-30).

Ben Mayes added nine but was trapped leg-before by Ball, while Ali Orr (3) briefly chipped in before getting run out by Somerset’s Tom Abell off the final ball of the innings.

What's next on Sky Sports Cricket?

Watch England's second T20 against South Africa on Sunday, September 14 (first ball 2.30pm), live on Sky Sports Cricket.

(c) Sky Sports 2025: Vitality Blast Finals Day: Will Smeed helps Somerset complete record chase against Hampshire to claim victory