Middlesex trounced by Somerset after record-low total of 78

Riley Meredith will be available to play for Somerset until at least the quarter-final stage of this season's T20 Blast

Vitality Blast, Lord's

Middlesex: 78 (16.3 overs) Cornwell 15*, Meredith 4-12, Davey 2-13

Somerset: 82-1 (12.3 overs) Banton 48*, Kohler-Cadmore 30*

Somerset beat Middlesex by 9 wickets

Match scorecard

Riley Meredith took a career-best 4-12 as defending T20 Blast champions Somerset hammered hapless Middlesex by nine wickets at Lord's to go top of the South Group.

The Australian bowled 17 dot balls in a relentless opening spell, full of pace and movement, on his way to taking three of the first four wickets as the hosts crumbled to 50-9 after only 74 deliveries of their innings.

A 28-run partnership between last-wicket pair Tom Helm (15) and Noah Cornwell (15*) did restore relative order but could not prevent Middlesex from recording their lowest ever total in the Blast of 78.

In reply, sensible knocks from Tom Banton (48*) and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (30*) saw last year's winners cruise to victory in the 13th over.

Somerset won the toss chose to field on a grey and cold night at Lord's, and Meredith, and his opening bowling partner Craig Overton (2-21) tore into the Middlesex line-up immediately.

After eight overs, the hosts were 33-6, losing wickets off the first ball of the second, third, fourth and fifth overs.

Josh Davey (2-13) and Ben Green (2-17) then combined to mop up the remaining wickets inside nine overs.

Somerset lost Will Smeed early, and the normally aggressive Banton and Kohler-Cadmore batted maturely in an unbeaten stand of 78 to see the visitors home to a third win in five games.

Banton mixed quick running between the wickets with selective power hitting, finishing with a flurry after a six to deep mid-wicket and a reverse sweep behind square.

He was assisted by Kohler-Cadmore, who went at a run-a-ball in his unbeaten 30.

The defending champions have now won back-to-back matches in the competition, after thrashing Hampshire on Sunday, and go above Sussex and Surrey at the top of the table on net run rate.

Middlesex, whose total was two runs fewer than their previous lowest score of 80, set against Kent in 2021, have now lost four of their five group matches and are bottom of the pile.