Somerset trounce Kent

Marcus Trescothick was at his brutal best for Somerset as they eased to a comprehensive victory over Kent

Somerset made it two wins out of two in the Friends Provident Trophy when they recorded a comfortable 110-run victory over Kent in their rain-reduced game at Taunton.

Play eventually got under way at 12.45pm following a delay for bad weather, and Kent’s decision to ask their hosts to bat looked to have been the correct one when debutant Warren Lee yorked Craig Kieswetter with the third ball of the innings.

However new batsman James Hildreth then joined Marcus Trescothick, who looked in fine form as he battered the ball to all parts and took consecutive fours off Lee’s next over.

Hildreth brought up the Somerset 50 with a scampered single in the seventh over before Lee was re-introduced to the attack from the Old Pavilion End.

The former England opener brought up the Sabres’ three figures, but shortly afterwards, with his own score on 70 from 41 balls, he lofted Rob Ferley to long off where Lee held on to the catch.

Hildreth continued his run of fine form with a collection of fluent strokes and went to his 50 in the 22nd over.

Two overs later the 24-year-old drove Martin van Jaarsveld for two to bring up the hosts’ 150, with Zander de Bruyn then cracking the same bowler for the first six of the day with a lofted straight drive.

The third-wicket pair had added 80 in 14 overs and taken the total on to 188 when Hildreth - on 67 - holed out to long on where Lee pouched the chance off Ferley.

The final 10 overs of the innings produced some real fireworks as Peter Trego blasted his way to 73 off just 36 balls. Trego hammered five sixes, two of which went high into the new Somerset Stand on the west side of the County Ground.

Along with De Bruyn, who hit 71 off 68 balls, the all rounder added 102 runs to see Somerset reach 291 for three from their 38 overs.

Chasing what always looked likely to be a challenging target, Kent captain Rob Key was out early on to a fine reflex catch by Trescothick at short midwicket off Charl Willoughby.

Van Jaarsveld brought up the 50 with a single to mid wicket in the eighth over, but next over was bowled, trying to make room, by Trego for 24.

Joe Denly and James Hockley added 41 for the third wicket before Alfonso Thomas bowled the latter for 26 with a yorker.

Somerset had their tails up and pressed their advantage home as the Spitfires slipped from 95 for two to 125 for seven, three wickets falling to off spinner Omari Banks.

Geraint Jones and Ferley added 24, before Thomas accounted for Ferley and Lee with the last two balls of the 28th over.

Jones survived Thomas’ hat-trick ball and had moved on to 43 when with the total on 181 last man Martin Saggers was run out for 11.