T20 Blast: Somerset beat Hampshire to go top as Notts v Northants ended by rain

Tom Lammonby and Will Smeed completed a brilliant relay catch to remove Hampshire's Chris Wood in the last over

Somerset moved to the top of the South Group in the T20 Blast with a four-wicket win over Hampshire Hawks.

The home side were bowled out for 123 at the Ageas Bowl as seamer Josh Davey took 3-21, with James Fuller's 42 off 28 balls the only innings of note.

Fuller then took 2-23 with the ball, but Tom Lammonby's 33 guided Somerset home on 124-6 with 25 balls to spare.

Monday's other match between Notts Outlaws and Northamptonshire Steelbacks ended as a no-result because of rain.

Somerset's only triumph in the domestic T20 competition came in 2005, but last year's beaten finalists were in dominant form in their first two games, beating defending champions Kent Spitfires and Essex Eagles.

They were given an early boost as Aneurin Donald holed out from the first ball of the second over, bowled by Davey, as Hampshire's top order was swept away, leaving them on 57-5 at the halfway point of their innings.

Captain Tom Abell took an excellent over-the-shoulder catch as Hawks skipper James Vince (16) sliced over extra cover, but the best piece of fielding was still to come in the final over as a leaping Lammonby palmed a big hit by Chris Wood to team-mate Will Smeed, who completed the dismissal.

Fuller was the only home batter to pass 20, hitting two big sixes and five fours despite being struck on the shoulder by Marchant de Lange, but eventually fell in the 17th over, top edging a catch to Davey off the South African,

Facing a modest target, Somerset were given a good start by their openers, reaching 46-0 before Tom Banton edged Wood to the keeper at the start of the sixth over.

Smeed followed for 22 and Rilee Rossouw was unable to add another half-century against his former county to previous Blast scores of 81 not out and 67 as he was caught at deep mid-wicket off Brad Wheal for 26.

Abell was bowled by a Mason Crane googly, but Lammonby hit two fours and a six off Wood at the end of the 15th over to leave his side three runs from victory.

He was unable to finish the job as he was caught behind off Nathan Ellis, but Ben Green hit the winning run two balls later as Somerset moved above Middlesex, who also have three wins from three, on net run rate

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Milestone for Patel but rain wins

Samit Patel's half-century for Notts was his 33rd in T20 cricket

Notts Outlaws were put in to bat at Trent Bridge following a 30-minute rain delay and despite two sixes by Alex Hales off Tom Taylor, they found themselves in trouble on 38-3 at the end of the six-over powerplay.

Hales was one of those dismissed, caught behind off Ben Sanderson for 15, but the ever-reliable Samit Patel - playing his 353rd T20 game - came to the rescue with a 36-ball half-century.

A six off Graeme White took him past 6,000 runs in T20 cricket as he and Steven Mullaney put on 53 for the fifth wicket.

Both fell in the same Matt Kelly over, Patel caught for 63 off 44 balls and Mullaney edging to the keeper on 15, as the Australian produced figures of 4-29.

The 2017 and 2019 winners were 140-6 at the end of the 18th over, with Dan Christian having just cleared the rope at square leg off White, when the rain returned and there was to be no resumption as umpires Paul Baldwin and Russell Warren abandoned the game.

A point was enough to lift Notts from fifth to second in the North Group, with Northamptonshire also climbing three places to fifth.

Tuesday fixtures

Trent Bridge: Notts Outlaws v Lancashire Lightning (18:30 BST)

The Oval: Surrey v Gloucestershire (18:30)

Headingley: Yorkshire Vikings v Derbyshire Falcons (18:30)

Chelmsford: Essex Eagles v Hampshire Hawks (19:00)

Wednesday fixtures

Old Trafford: Lancashire Lightning v Derbyshire Falcons (15:00)

Chester-le-Street: Durham v Worcestershire Rapids (18:30)

Bristol: Gloucestershire v Kent Spitfires (18:30)

Northampton: Northamptonshire Steelbacks v Leicestershire Foxes (18:30)

Taunton: Somerset v Sussex Sharks (18:30)

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