Somerset fluff their lines in tense finale to Pro40 league

Somerset blew their big chance to win the 40-over league for the first time in 30 years.

Somerset CCC went into yesterday's game with Durham at Taunton knowing they had to win and hope Pro40 Leaders Sussex would lose at Worcester.

The Sharks were thrashed by 49 runs at New Road but Somerset also fluffed their lines as Durham chased down a substandard 242 from the hosts to win by two wickets with two balls to spare.

So Sussex are the champions of the final Pro40 League after a sad final game in England for home captain Justin Langer, whose Somerset career will end after the Champions League next month.

Half-centuries from Zander de Bruyn and Arul Suppiah were not enough after Gordon Muchall (61) and Gareth Breese (38 not out) helped Durham get home.

Somerset head coach Andy Hurry was bitterly disappointed to see the Sabres blow their chance.

He said: "I feel like my heart has been ripped out of me to be honest. I don't think that we played our best I think we got ourselves into a position to win the game.

"But it just shows you that to be champions you have got to make sure that you take care of the small things."

Phil Mustard and former Somerset star Ian Blackwell set up Durham's reply brilliantly with a stand of 79 in eight overs until Pete Trego sprang forward at square leg to scoop up the former off Charl Willoughby for 49.

Blackwell was then bowled advancing at the same bowler for 26 before Alfonso Thomas held an excellent running catch at deep square leg to dismiss Will Smith off Ben Phillips.

Ben Harmison had needed a runner because of a leg injury and he succumbed run out following neat work from Suppiah.

A tight spell from Phillips was then rewarded when Kyle Coetzer missed a straight one for five. De Bruyn also turned the screw a little tighter with some accurate inswing bowling that pushed the required run rate, from five an over, to more than six.

And all the time news of falling Sussex wickets at New Road – which were announced over the tannoy – fired up a vociferous crowd.

But Gordon Muchall and Somerset's nemesis Breese added 64 in 14 overs to swing the game back to the visitors.

When Muchall clipped de Bruyn to Marcus Trescothick at midwicket for 61 there was brief hope. Seven were needed off the final over, bowled by Thomas.

Will Gidman edged the first delivery for four and was then yorked next ball. But Scott Borthwick clipped the winning runs as the game ended in anti-climactic fashion.

When Somerset batted, Trescothick struck three fours in the first over from Luke Evans before being adjudged lbw, while Craig Kieswetter cracked 26 with four boundaries.

Kieswetter does not qualify for full England selection until February but it would be no surprise if he was to be picked for the Lions side this winter.

He looked set for a big innings until he picked out extra cover off Will Gidman, the eyounger brother of Gloucestershire captain Alex Gidman.

Langer's final innings in England ended when he edged Liam Plunkett behind for a boundary-less 13. The Australian received a standing ovation from a near-capacity 6,000 crowd who have fully appreciated his efforts in transforming the club in the last three years.

James Hildreth then helped de Bruyn add 93 in 18 overs before he missed a leg-side wide from leg-spinner Borthwick and was stumped for 49.

Trego hit a steepling catch to wide long-on next ball but that brought in Suppiah to play a gem of an innings.

De Bruyn (55) and Omari Banks (10) both picked out long-on as well but Suppiah hammered six fours and a six in a 29-ball knock, bringing up his fifty with a late cut past the keeper off the final ball of the innings.

Meanwhile, Nottinghamshire's victory on Saturday ensured Somerset CCC finished third in County Championship Division One.

They will receive £115,000 in prize money – more than Durham got for winning the competition last year.