Somerset suffer one-run defeat to set up Lancashire trip

Somerset missed out on a home quarter-final in the Twenty20 Cup as they just failed to achieve the highest run chase in the competition by any team this year.

They had already qualified before losing by one run to Warwickshire at Edgbaston, but victory would have sealed top spot. Instead, they had to make do with third, and will now travel to play Lancashire at the end of next month.

Nevertheless, Justin Langer's side have lost just four of their 17 completed limited overs games this term

– a remarkable improvement for a side that had underachieved in the shorter formats for a number of years.

Arul Suppiah needed three from the final ball of the match to win it but he could only hit New Zealand off-spinner Jeetan Patel into the leg side for a single as Somerset, chasing 194 to win, fell short.

Patel's 3-23 from his four overs proved critical as he claimed the key wickets of James Hildreth, Zander de Bruyn and the in-form Craig Kieswetter.

First to go had been Langer, after the opener had belted 33 from 16 balls with six fours and one six, effortlessly picked up over square leg off a short ball from Keith Barker.

He fell clipping Rikki Clarke to mid-on but by then Marcus Trescothick was striking the ball with carefree glee.

Amid the carnage, he offered Jim Troughton a simple chance at point on 32 but the normally superb fielder fumbled the opportunity.

It cost just seven runs as Trescothick soon turned Steffan Piolet into the hands of backward square leg for 39.

Hildreth (19 from 13) continued the fluent scoring but he missed a sweep at Patel's fifth ball and was leg before wicket.

And Warwickshire then slowed the scoring rate and 50 were needed from 30 balls when de Bruyn missed a reverse-sweep at Patel and went the same way for 40.

Kieswetter and Pete Trego briefly threatened another pivotal partnership, as they had in victory at Gloucestershire on Friday. But Trego holed out to long on for eight.

However, Kieswetter (39 from 25) appeared undeterred and followed up his 84 at Bristol with another fine innings. Two sixes from the 21-year-old reduced the rate to under a run-a-ball.

Four were needed from the last three balls when he drove a low return catch to Patel. Ben Phillips then edged a single to leave Suppiah needing three and he was unable to hit the Kiwi off the square and Phillips was run out going for a second which would have tied the game.

Earlier, Somerset CCC had suffered their own now familiar tough start with the ball, with the Bears surging out of the blocks.

The recalled Phillips saw off the dangerous Neil Carter when he miscued to long-on for ten but a stand of 88 in eight overs between Troughton and Jonathan Trott rocked them back. Trott ran himself out for 37 going for a second and failing to beat Suppiah's throw.

And, as in the win at Bristol, spin helped Somerset's cause with the returning Omari Banks, who bowled four overs for just 26 runs, snaring Tim Ambrose (9), who skied to short fine-leg.

The absence of leg-spinner Max Waller with a side strain was felt as the Somerset seamers struggled.

Alfonso Thomas has been removed from the attack once before this season for bowling two accidental beamers and his first ball yesterday cost six runs as it was hurled over the batsman's shoulder to the boundary fence.

The ex-Bear's over did not improve after that with Rikki Clarke belting him for 19 in total, although he recovered to finish with the creditable figures of 2-33.

Thomas also claimed the wicket of top-scorer Troughton (62 from 41), caught at deep midwicket.

Clarke should have been caught by Hildreth at long-on for 27 but he went on to hit four successive fours in the next over off Trego on his way to a 31-ball 51 not out.