Trescothick guides Somerset to Lord's

CB 40

Somerset reached their second one-day final of the season with a 95-run victory over Essex in their Clydesdale Bank 40 last-four clash at Taunton.

The Sabres were superbly led by the bat of their captain Marcus Trescothick who blazed 79 at the top of the order to set the foundation of their 312-6 batting first.

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It was a target that proved far beyond the reach of the visitors who lost Mark Pettini from the very first ball of the chase before being bowled out for 217 in 29.3 overs. Somerset seamer Alfonso Thomas struck immediately in Essex's chase when he had Pettini caught at mid-off by Mark Turner and the visitors' chase went from bad to worse when they lost key men Alastair Cook and Ryan ten Doeschate with the score on 33.

Cook fell for 10 when Trescothick held onto a sharp chance at short extra cover off Ben Phillips and next ball Ten Doeschate was run out for 22 after a direct hit by Hildreth.

Grant Flower and Matt Walker started to rebuild the Essex innings and it was the former who brought up the 50 in the eighth over with a lofted drive over Phillips' head.

However, another needless run out undermined Essex's efforts with the score on 88. Flower clipped the ball off his legs to deep square leg where Jos Buttler fired the ball in for wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter to remove the bails and catch Flower short of his ground attempting a second run.

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The Essex batsmen took 17 off the 17th over, which was bowled by Arul Suppiah during which Walker, when on 30, was dropped just inside the boundary ropes.

Essex skipper James Foster struck the ball cleanly and brought up his own half-century and his side's 200 with a lofted cover drive off Thomas in the 27th over. In the same over however, he went for another big drive and was caught inside the long on boundary by Buttler for 58 off 38 balls. It prompted a collapse of five wickets for just nine runs as the Essex chase ended suddenly.

Kartik accounted for Adam Wheater leg before wicket for 36 as he tried a reverse sweep and while Essex had some chance in the game with 99 needed off the last 12 overs their tail never threatened to achieve it. Peter Trego sewed up Somerset's place in the final when he bowled David Masters.

Trescothick drove the second ball of the innings to the cover boundary, and hit the first six of the game when he lofted Palladino over mid-wicket. In his next over Palladino accounted for Kieswetter caught at deep mid-wicket by Flower.

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The Somerset captain continued to blitz the Essex attack and brought up his 50 in the 10th over off 35 balls. Trego hit 33 at just better than a run a ball and helped to add 81 in 12 overs. Trescothick was on 79, from 62 balls, when Wright bowled the home skipper trying to steer the ball to third man.

Hildreth and Nick Compton added 76 for the fourth wicket, Buttler hit 36 off 18 balls and Suppiah provided some late excitement with 42 off just 20 balls to post Somerset's unattainable target.

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