Blast Game 10 - Derby to the Wire as well

By Grockle
July 8 2026

We are 'down to the wire' in the Blast and we are off the pace without FOUR wins to us before the end. We go to Derby for one of those games agaimnst those not in our region. We've only played Derbyshire once in this competition and that was in the 2022 QF when we handed them their backsides at taunton with a record win. Don't expect that tonight - but we are not changing the side from the one that gave Northants a spanking last weekend and Josh Thomas deerves his place in this side after that performance. We have won the toss and are batting first tonight. We need a win!!

Blast Game 10 v Derbyshire @ County Ground Derby Wednesday 9 July 2026

Only two of the Derbyshire side who were beaten at Taunton 4 years ago are in this side. We don't have Rilee Rousseau or others either so it's a different game tonight. The Somerset side is the same as the one from last weekend;

Smeed, Rew T (w), Rew J, TKC (c), Goldsworthy, Sams, Thomas, Overton, Shaw, Meredith, Ball

Matt Montgomery starts with spin taking the first and Will Smeed hits the first boundary in the middle of it. They finish with 6 on the board, all to Will. Jack Morley then doubles up the slow option by bowling to the younger Rew and he chops the spinner for four off his first ball. He goes for 6 as well and it is 12 for 0 after 2. The Falcons maintain the duo into the third, Somerset move up a gear by taking 14 off the second Montgomery over, then into the fourth where Morley goes for 11 so 37 for 0 after four.

Akif Javed, the Pakistani overseas brings pace to the fifth. Both the Somerset men move into the 20s as Nick Potts Derbyshire's leading wicket taker in this tounament has the last of the 'Powerplay'. Thomas Rew takes him on in the second and nearly brings up the 50 but it's a 1 bouce four so only 48 However, he sends the next one for six and Somerset move to 54 for 0 and after six overs the visitors have 61 with the last ball being deposited into the crowd by Will Smeed (30 from 19) with Rew (31 from 17) keeping just ahead of him in the scoring.

Sufiyan Moqim's left arm wrist spin is next and he gets significant movement from his first ball. He isn't helped by a Harry Came misfield which goes for four at the end of it and we move to 70 as Martin Andersson starts with the next one. His first is pulled by Thomas Rew for six but he takes the pace off and bowls the young man for 39 from 22 (5 fours and 2 sixes) at 76 for 1. That was comprehensive and it brings his older brother to the middle. James starts his account with a single. Andersson has come back well and only adds 2 to the initial six off the first ball.

Moqim is back on and Rew Snr doesn't have a look, tries to reverse sweep him and top edges into the hands of Javed for 2 off 4. Should have waited James!! In comes the skipper at 79 for 2 in the 9th. TKC starts with a single as HE does have a look first. Moqib only goes for four with the wicket - a considerable improvement but this IS a significant partnership as we do not bat deep at the moment.

At 10 overs (Morley takes the 10th), Somerset have slowed down a little because of the loss of 2 wickets and are 88 for 2 at the 'halfway' stage. Smeed has 43 from 39 (he has slowed down) and his boss has just arrived and has scored 4 from 5 presently.

Andersson starts to move us into the second part of this innings with 1 for 9 from his first. Somerset ought to be looking for 200 but TKC is in no kind of form so the onus is presently on Smeed to establish this innings. 6 singles from the 11th and Morley will bowl out with the 12th starting at 0 for 23 from his first 3. TKC moves the score past 100 with his first boundary for four at 102 for 2 and he then opens up a bit with a six off the next ball. The skipper finishes the over with another six to move to 114 for 2 and Morley ends with 0 for 43. Seems that the captain is looking to move up a gear now.

Javed's second is the 13th and Will Smeed moves to 50 from 35 with 4 fours and 2 sixes at 115 for 2. A very sensible innings from the bat who is working at his pacing of innings in all formats at the moment. The 50 over 100 against Cornwall does not seem to have done him any harm. Moqim changes ends for the 14th with 1 for 13 at the moment. His first is straight driven by Tom for four and it is very obvious that he is 'opening his shoulders'. A single brings Smeed on and he sends the next one over the ice cream van and the boundary rope. Someone mentions that TKC may have seen Moqib before in the PSL. Andersson will be back for the 15th and he is frugal for the first 3 balls before the skipper puts him into the stands and moves his side into the 140s. They stay there on 145 for 2 with 30 balls to come.

Potts returns for the 16th after going for 18 from his first. Will hits his first into the car park and they move past 150 to 151 and he goes to his highest score of the season. Presently he has taken Potts for 6,4,6 in this over and moved himself into the 70s. He tries something else and he gets hit for another six as Smeed moves to 85. The next is a very wide wide so he has got inside Nick's head, he is trying to hide the ball and bowls another wide in that attempt. His next is better but it is still too wide. Came keeps the ball in with exccellent fielding and they run 3 so TKC takes over. Potts comes back, clean bowling the captain for 19 from 22 at 173 for 3. Well done to the bowler coming back from a nightmare.

In comes Sams and he will face Moqib after Smeed takes a single to go to 89. The Aussie pulls the ball for four. Smeed misses it, so does the keeper Donald and it goes for 4 byes. A full delivery bowls Will for 89 Middle stump flies from a yorker and the bat goes. In comes Josh Thomas at the start of the 18th at 183 for 4 with 10 off the over but the loss of the man with the score. They've sent in the men to hit the ball presently, moving Lewis Goldsworthy down the order as Javed takes the 18th.

Thomas' first ball is a free hit and he edges it for four. Derbyshire have not been clean with their outfielding this evening and a two takes Somerset into the 190s. Josh has obviously been sent in with orders to hit out as he is swminging at everything. 195 for 4 with both bats on 8 and 12 balls to go.

Andersson takes the difficult penulitimate one with Javed probably takiking the last one as Potts has had some 'tap'. Sams dismisses the first ball for four but puts the second into Morley's hands at 199 for 5 to go for 12 from 8. he did what he'd been told to do but it doesn't always go the way of the bat. In comes Big Craig who takes a single to bring up the 200 with 9 balls to go. Thomas also goes high and is also caught for 8 from 5 by Montgomery on the boundary and in comes Lewis who pushes the ball for a single while Overton pulls the last one for another single. 202 for 6 as Andersson finishes with 3 for 43. Moqib has 2 for 33 from his and Javed takes the last.

A leg bye off the first is followed by a single off the second and a well run two off the third. Javed's slow ball is a dot but his fifth is straight driven for four by Cove while the last is pilled by another four. Somerset finish on 214 for 6 with Overton on 12 from his 7 and Goldsworthy with 2 from 2. Derbyshire need 215 to win.

The Reply

Donald and Andersson face Craig to start the response. The opening pair don't get hold of oneuntil the 5th ball which Aneurin Donald picks up for six. 7 off the bat and a wide means 8 for 0 after 1. Riley takes the second and he will want to do better than the 21 he went for off his first in Northampton. Donald ramps his first for four but he is cut in half by the second and Meredith thought he had him. It was close. A ramp for six comes next. This is followed by a straight four - it's not going well as he goes for 18. Why does Meredith open for us one wonders? 26 for 0 after 2.

Donald is showing how dangerous he can be as he moves to 37 from 15 in a total of 39. It's 45 after 3 with Andersson only scoring 1 of those. Ball takes the 4th and bowls Andersson with his first ball for 1 off 3 in 45 for 1!! In comes Harry Came But it is Donald who hits another six to take Derbyshire to 52 from 3.3. He takes the single to bring up an 18 ball 50 with 4 fours and 5 sixes. Somerset need him out as quickly as possible or he will win this on his own.

Sams gets the same Donald treatment for the 5th but at least he tries to take the pace off a bit more. He still goes for 10 but it's better. Presently however we are showing that we struggle to defend big totals.

Craig brings us to the end of the 'Powerplay' and with the 5th ball he does what his county need him to do and gets Donald hitting out to the boundary to a fielder!! Sams is on hell of a bouondary fielder and he keeps hopld of the ball. Aneurin Donald goes for 65 from 26 balls at 74 for 1. Did he need to do that? No but he plays that way and that is it. A great start for his county but he could ahve done with staying there to see them as far 'home' as possible. Craig finisihes his third with 1 for 34 and in comes 'Old Man' Wayne Madsen, still doing it into his 40s!!

Josh Shaw takes the 7th and they keep coming as Derbyshire take 15 from it. Not a great over!! On comes Lewis Goldsworthy as we introduce the first spin of the game. He does well going for 6 as the home side move into the 90s. They then decide to bowl out Craig in the 9th and he nearly gets Came with his first ball but Shaw can't get there. The 100 arrives at the end of the over as COve completes his bowling work with 1 for 40.

The 10th is taken by Josh Thomas who goes for 10. This is still not looking good one has to say.

Sams takes the 11th and he breaksthrough with the first ball of the second half as he has a short ball pulled straight to James Rew and Came goes for 28 from 21 at 110 for 3. Montgomery replaces him.

Jake is back for the next having looked good in his first and he takes the next as Montgomery goes for 8 from 8 caught vert well low down by James Rew in the deep. 124 for 4 and out comes Ross Whiteley. Ball finishes that omne with figures of 2 for 19 (very good on today's reckoning to be hinest) and we turn back to Meredith who went for 18 from his only over so far this evening. He gets it right this time as he only goes for 4 and Derbyshire needs 81 off 36. Daniel Sams will now bowl his third. They reach 142 for 4 with 6 overs to go.

The 150 arrives in the 16th as Madsen takes up the chase and puts himself into the 40's with Whiteley, the Derbyshire 'finisher' in a little before they would have liked him to be. At 153 for 4 they keep faith with Jake B for the 17th and he doesn't disappoint only going for 7 when they need double figures per over. With 18 balls left the home side need a BIG over at least with 55 required for them to win this one.

Sams takes the 18th and after giving a single he bowls Madsen with a terrific yorker for 43 from 31 at 161 for 5. He's done his job with the ball tonight - probably for the first time to be honest :-) Bin Naeem the 19 year old is the next one out with a huge demand on his skills tonight. He hits his first ball for four but edges the next one to a diving catch from Thomas. Dan Sams has two in the over at 165 for 6 and out comes Nick Potts needing to push 50 from 14 balls with 4 wickets in hand.

His first goes really high but into 'no man's land' and he survives to bat again. Sams ends with an excellent 3 for 29 and with 12 balls to go the RRR is just under 24 as Ball will bowl out with the 19th at 2 for 24. A six from Whiteley will muck up Jake's figures but 2 for 34 with nearly a third wicket fro his last ball which went veryhigh but swirled and James Rew couldnt' work it out. 179 for 6 and they need 36 with Riley bowling!! 6 x six anyone? His first is a dot, his second goes for 1, his third goes for 2, Whiteley smashes it just over TKC for four. this one should go for six but it is only a single and Whitely will finish with 29 from 21. Potts takes the last one, he drives to TKC who holds on and they are 187 for 7 with Meredith finishing with 1 for 41. They win by 27 runs. A goos win BUT I worry about them holding a side that goes for ascore over the 200 mark at Taunton and you can guarentee that Northants will be coming doewn on Friday with that in mind!! The dream is still alive but for how much longer?

Blast Game 10 - Derby to the Wire as well

Posted by: Grockles.com (IP Logged)

Date: 08/07/2026 18:27

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2026:07:10:09:53:48 by Grockle.