Derbyshire overcame Somerset by a thrilling one-wicket Metro Bank One-Day Cup victory at Taunton, thanks to a superb century from Anuj Dal, who took over as Group A leaders.
After losing the toss, the hosts amassed 316 for 5, with captain Sean Dickson smashing 86 off 64 balls, including 8 fours and 3 sixes. Josh Thomas was not out at 54, Andy Umeed at 58, and James Rew at 88. 3 for 54 was claimed by Zak Chappell.
The middle order efforts of Anuj Dal, who scored an incredible 115 off 75 balls with 10 fours and two sixes, and David Lloyd (71) were the main contributors to Derbyshire’s reply of 317 for nine.
Harry Moore, a seventeen-year-old who scored 36 runs without out, saw them home with ten balls remaining, while George Thomas, a career-best 3 for 41, returned figures for List A.
Moore had previously scored just ten runs in three List A innings, but in a 20-ball cameo that won the game, the youthful player surpassed that total with five fours and a six.
Following the removal of George Thomas and Lewis Goldsworthy by Chappell and Sam Conners in the first four overs of the match, Rew and Umeed rode some early luck to put together their second three-figure partnership in the Metro Bank Cup this season. Umeed reached half-centuries off 62 balls, while Rew reached half-century off 66.
After being caught at short cover by legspinner Mitch Wagstaff, Umeed was dismissed with a total of 141. Rew added 40 more runs after that, pouting as he top-edged a fine leg pull shot off Chappell, knowing that he had set the stage for a late attack.
As Somerset hammered 89 off the final seven overs, it came from Dickson and Josh Thomas. Dickson reached a 51-ball half-century before hitting two rope removals off Conners and one off Harry Moore, whose ninth over ended with a 22-run score.
Dickson was dismissed by Chappell, but Thomas was not done yet. He blasted the final ball of the innings, a free hit off Conners, over long-off for six runs to score a fifty off of 41 balls.
Reece made sure the visitors’ reply got off to a quick start by launching six fours in Charlie Cassell’s opening two overs. Before George Thomas pinned him leg before wicket on the last ball of the ten-over powerplay, Harry Came contributed to getting the total to sixty.
When Brooke Guest, who is fifteen, edged a ball behind, Thomas took his second wicket. After playing a ball from Thomas to cover, Lloyd then asked for a quick single, and Reece, at 44, was unable to beat Umeed’s rapid throw to wicketkeeper Rew.
Jack Leach bowled Matt Lamb in an attempt to create space for an off-side force, and all of a sudden Derbyshire were 89 for 4. When Samit Patel handed Thomas a return catch, Thomas threw out his left hand to seize the quick opportunity, turning that into a 90 for five score.
With a sixth-wicket stand of 145, Dal and Lloyd gave Derbyshire hope. Dal reached a half-century off 36 balls, while Lloyd reached his off the following delivery from Leach, off 53. Their century cooperation witnessed 82 deliveries in the following over.
Somerset failed to stop the run scoring even though Leach and Shoaib Bashir, two England spinners, were bowling in tandem for the first time. The partnership was broken by seamer Josh Davey’s comeback after Lloyd reverse-swept a catch to short third man. In the same over, Chappell was caught at cover, making it 235 for 7.
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Before Dal scored a 69-ball century full of spectacular shots, Dickson brilliantly ran Wagstaff out at the bowler’s end. Davey bowled him with 12 runs still, but Moore didn’t give up, sealing a priceless victory.
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