Tom Kohler-Cadmore helps holders Somerset to victory over Kent in rain-hit clash

Reigning champions Somerset continued their winning run in the Vitality Blast with a 14-run victory over Kent in a rain-affected clash that was reduced to five overs a side at Taunton.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore smashed 24 runs off nine balls with two sixes and two fours as Somerset raised 55 for six from their allotted overs.

Charged with the task of chasing a revised target of 61 off five overs under the Duckworth Lewis Stern method, Kent imploded in the face of tight bowling from Somerset’s Australian fast bowler Riley Meredith (one for 15) and Jake Ball (one for 19).

Kent, who beat the holders at Canterbury last Friday, came up short at 46 for five as Somerset claimed their third successive Blast win and fourth in six games.

Somerset are level on eight points with South Group leaders Sussex, who claimed an impressive eight-wicket win at Essex.

Harrison Ward (68 off 36 balls), Daniel Hughes (47 off 18) and John Simpson (45 not out) led the charge as Sussex chased down their target of 179 with 26 balls to spare.

Surrey and Gloucestershire’s meeting ended in a thrilling tie after David Payne’s brilliant final over frustrated the hosts at The Kia Oval.

Surrey, chasing 171, needed just six runs to win after Tom Curran’s breezy 18 had followed up Jason Roy’s 55 and Ollie Pope’s 48.

But veteran Payne was equal to the task, yorking Curran with his first ball, having Sean Abbott caught in the deep off his third and then running out Jordan
Clark off the final ball.

Lancashire beat Leicestershire by 25 runs to make it five wins from six matches to top the North Group.

Scott Currie took four for 25 as Lancashire were bowled out for 162 but that proved too much for the home side despite appearing well-placed at 88 for two.

Alex Hales helped Nottinghamshire celebrate their first win in this season’s Blast with a one-run victory over Worcestershire under the Duckworth-Lewis Method.

The Outlaws had lost their opening five matches but, after limiting the home side to 141 for six under heavy skies, Hales led them to the narrowest of victories with an unbeaten 50, the visitors on 100 for three when rain stopped play.

Aneurin Donald powered Derbyshire to a 24-run win over Northamptonshire in another match cut short by the weather.

Donald smashed eight sixes in a 26-ball 68, equalling his own record for Derbyshire’s fastest T20 half-century, to put the Falcons ahead of the run rate
on 123 for three after 11 overs when a violent thunderstorm ended the game.

Matthew Breetzke had earlier batted superbly to score a T20-best 94 from 54 balls, sharing a blistering stand of 81 with Sikandar Raza, as the Steelbacks made 193 for eight.

Birmingham Bears returned to winning ways after successive Blast defeats with a comfortable four-wicket victory over Yorkshire.

The Vikings, who had won three of their first four games, were undone by spin as they were bowled out for 145 in 19.5 overs against an attack led by Jake Lintott (three for 15) and Danny Briggs (three for 26).

Sam Hain then passed 4,000 career T20 runs on his way to an unbeaten 53 from 40 balls as his side claimed victory at Edgbaston.

Hampshire’s match against Middlesex at the Utilita Bowl had to be abandoned due to rain with the visitors 113 for eight after batting first.