TWENTY20 CUP, MID/WEST/WALES DIVISION, New Road:
Worcestershire 165-6 beat Somerset 157 by eight runs (Worcs 2pts, Somerset 0pts)

Batty's previous best Twenty20 figures were 3-38

A late Somerset batting collapse handed Worcestershire an eight-run Twenty20 Cup victory at New Road.

Chasing 166, Marcus Trescothick (52) and Zander de Bruyn (30) put Somerset in an excellent position at 116-2.

But Peter Trego was left stranded on 58 not out as the rest of the batting line-up crumbled to 157 all out, Gareth Batty claiming a competition best 3-21.

It was a far cry from Worcestershire's innings of 165-6 in which every batsman reached double figures.

Ben Smith top scored with an unbeaten 35, made off 22 balls, while Steven Davies made 33 as Arul Suppiah, who took a Twenty20 best 3-25, ensured Worcestershire's batsmen could not get away.

Chris Whelan, who conceded only four runs in his first three overs, soon removed Craig Kieswetter in Somerset's reply but Trescothick and de Bruyn recovered from that setback to seemingly put them in charge with a stand of 66 in nine overs.

Batty gave Worcestershire an opening when he had de Bruyn caught by Daryl Mitchell.

And they took it as Somerset self-destructed spectacularly, their final seven batsman making only six runs between them as their final six wickets fell in just 21 balls.

Mitchell removed the dangerous James Hildreth only second ball, and when Batty bowled Justin Langer for a golden duck and Suppiah was run out without scoring, Somerset were suddenly 137-6.

The Batty-Mitchell combination soon accounted for Ben Phillips, and Alfonso Thomas and Max Waller were both run out after facing only one ball between them.

That left Trego and Charl Willoughby with too much to do and Willoughby was bowled by Ashley Noffke from the final ball of Somerset's 20 overs with his side nine short of victory.

Worcestershire's Ben Smith told BBC Hereford and Worcester:

"Beating Gloucestershire twice back-to-back was really good for us as it has really given us a bit of impetus.

"You get dragged along with the atmosphere especially when the crowd starts rising to the occasion.

"There is no holding back and you can't hide in Twenty20 cricket whether it is in batting, bowling or fielding."

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