SOMERSET have booked a place in the quarter finals of the 2025 Vitality Blast after beating Essex in style in Taunton.

However, Somerset lost only their second match to date in the qualifying stages when they were beaten by Glamorgan by two runs.

After Glamorgan had been put into bat they posted 176 for seven against an under par Somerset attack which included 22 runs being taken off the penultimate over.

When Somerset responded they struggled against the bowling of their former player Ned Leonard and at halfway they were behind the required rate on 77 for three. Sean Dickson then made merry but after hitting 27 off 17 balls he was caught just short of the deep mid wicket boundary - making it 97 for 4. Ben Green and Will Smeed played some big shots but with three overs left the Cidermen still needed 35.

Smeed was then caught at long off for 72 off 49 balls and the hosts needed 24 off 12 balls. Leonard kept up the pressure to end with five for 24 from his four overs as the hosts fell two runs short.

Somerset got back to winning ways when they beat Hampshire at the Utilita Bowl but they were made to work hard for their victory. After being put into bat first Hampshire posted 178 for three from their overs, of which James Vince hit 82 off 57 balls with 10 fours and two 6s while Joe Weatherley made an unbeaten 60 off 42 balls with one 4 and five 6s.

When Somerset replied they had slipped to 50 for three off the last ball of the sixth over when Sean Dickson was joined by Tom Abell. The fourth wicket pair proceeded to add 89 together to take Somerset close to their target before Dickson was out for 52 which came off 33 balls with two 4s and four 6s. Abell followed next over for 37 off 26 overs with five 4s.

Somerset edged closer but in the end sixes in the final over from Ben Green who was unbeaten on 19 off 10 balls and Lewis Goldsworthy not out 8 off 3 saw the Cidermen to 179 for six and victory off the penultimate ball.

Back at home on the Tuesday for once Somerset lost the toss and were put into bat, posting a massive 225 for six off their 20 overs, which included a hugely entertaining 90 off Kohler-Cadmore which came off 39 balls with eight 4s and seven 6s. When Essex replied they found Matt Henry who was returning to New Zealand after this match in top form and lost wickets at regular intervals. The catch that removed danger man Jordan Cox was one of the best seen at Taunton for a long time when Ben Green at short third man chased a lofted ball back towards the boundary and managed to hang onto it as he fell to the ground.

Kohler-Cadmore grabbed an almost as spectacular catch at long off to remove Mohammad Amir as Henry on his County Ground swan song ended with four wickets for 21. In the end the target proved to be out of the reach of Essex who were bowled out for 130 in 14.1 overs to give the hosts victory by 95 runs.