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Page last updated at 13:54 GMT, Monday, 12 October 2009 14:54 UK

Somerset slide to crushing defeat

Champions League, Bangalore: Trinidad & Tobago 150-9 (20 ovs) beat Somerset 106 (20 ovs) by 44 runs
Royal Challengers Bangalore 188 (20 ovs) beat Otago 108 (17.5 ovs) by 80 runs
Match scorecards from official website


Marcus Trescothick
Trescothick fell fifth ball as Somerset failed to get the start they needed

Somerset's Champions League hopes took a nosedive with a crushing 44-run defeat by Trinidad and Tobago.

Lendl Simmons and William Perkins put on 43 in five overs, Daren Ganga hit a rapid 23 and Denesh Ramdin made 39 from as many balls in Trinidad's 150-9.

Somerset lost Marcus Trescothick in the second over and were ground down, all out off the final ball for 106.

The English county's hopes now rest on T&T beating, and eliminating, Deccan Chargers in the final group game.

Should the Indian Premier League team prevail, Somerset's poor net run-rate could well ruin their chances.

Following a superb final-ball victory in their first match against Deccan Chargers on Saturday, it was a crushing defeat for Somerset, and the effect on their net run-rate could have lasting consequences for their campaign.

They were thoroughly outplayed by the West Indian team, who showed bold strokeplay with the bat and looked a slick outfit in the field.

The Trinidad and Tobago openers set off in frenetic fashion, intent on butchering virtually every ball to the boundary.

There was the occasional deft touch, however, and Simmons late cut a full toss to the fence.

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CrickeyBouncer

Somerset seamer Ben Phillips, who took 3-31 in his team's opening match, saw his first two balls hit down the ground for four and six by Perkins, before Simmons sliced the final ball of the over to third man.

Darren Bravo, the left-handed brother of Dwayne, magnificently drove his first ball for six as 49 came from the first five overs, but his more famous sibling's first ball was less distinguished as he drove straight to backward point.

Ganga danced down the wicket to launch leg-spinner Max Waller straight down the ground for six, but fell in unfortunate fashion to the final ball of the over when a quicker googly fizzed in down the leg-side came off his inner thigh on the stumps.

His younger brother Sherwin Ganga revived the innings with two fours and a six in the space of four balls, before Ramdin was bowled with two balls

A farcical run-out had no real significance but gave the crown some unexpected extra entertainment.

Dave Mohammad patted a yorker straight back to bowler Alfonso Thomas but inexplicably set off for a run - with Ganga firmly intent to remain at the other end - allowing Thomas to simply walk with the ball and take off the bails, and Mohammad to keep on running back to the pavilion.

Former England opener Trescothick was always going to be the key factor in Somerset's chase, but he could not make the impact his team hoped for as he edged a drive at Bravo, who soon had Craig Kieswetter caught at mid-off.

Trinidad played brilliantly in all aspects of the game

Justin Langer

Indeed, the only major impact involving Trescothick was when an overthrow caught him in an unmentionable place and to compound his misery he had to take part in a live television interview while still on his haunches in agony.

Somerset lost their third wicket as Justin Langer was left in a state of furious disbelief when he swept straight to the man at backward square-leg, leaving 123 needed from 85 balls.

The flamboyant Mohammad then bowled the charging Arul Suppiah with his left-arm chinaman and set off on an extravagant celebration, which was followed by even more demonstrative jubilation when he saw Peter Trego's reverse sweep caught at point.

Zander de Bruyn hit a six and a four off one over from spinner Sherwin Ganga in an enterprising knock of 43 not out, but Bravo collected two wickets in the final over to finish with 4-23, and Somerset's fate is now out of their hands.

Langer admitted his side were second best and said: "Trinidad played brilliantly in all aspects of the game.

"We saw some footage of their top order last night and in a sense we were expecting that sort of start from them.

"That's the way they play, that's great Caribbean cricket and it came off well for them."

Somerset now need Trinidad and Tobago to record a similarly emphatic win in their next match and Langer said: "I don't think India would like me saying this, but I hope Trinidad beat Deccan."

In Monday's other match, Jacques Kallis produced a superb all-round display as Royal Challengers Bangalore trounced Otago by 80 runs to book their place in the next round.

Kallis made an unbeaten 73, while Ross Taylor hit three sixes in 32 not out from just 11 balls as RCB amassed 188-2.

Kallis then took two wickets in an over, finishing with 3-18, before pouching the catch at long-on that saw Otago all out for 108 in the 18th over.



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see also
Sussex well beaten in first game
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Last-ball Somerset defeat Deccan
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Aussie Test stars shine for NSW
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Duminy ignites Champions League
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Twenty20 challenge excites Sabres
08 Oct 09 |  Somerset
English teams eye Twenty20 glory
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Trescothick to take tour 'gamble'
30 Sep 09 |  Somerset
Champions League groups unveiled
30 Jul 09 |  Cricket


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