Cricket Taunton quarter-final was our goal, says delighted Kerr

SOMERSET guaranteed themselves a home quarterfinal in the Vitality Blast with a five-wicket win over the Kent Spitfires at Canterbury.

- By FRED ATKINS

Riley Meredith took 3-19 as the hosts were held to a paltry 137-8 from 20 overs on Friday, with Joe Denly their top scorer with 40.

The visitors survived a mid-innings wobble, when they stuttered to 73-4 and were effectively five down with Tom Banton unable to bat, to win with nine balls to spare. Tom Abell was unbeaten on 34, while Lewis Gregory top-scored with 37.

Somerset's Jason Kerr said: “It was a great evening. It wasn't the spectacle we've been used to recently but the mission I guess was to achieve a home quarterfinal. That was the first goal, so to put that to bed with two games to go is incredibly pleasing.

“I thought they (the bowlers) were outstanding. Riley came in with the new ball and we had to shuffle the pack slightly with Matt (Henry) on international duty but we set the tone with three wickets in the powerplay. Looking at the wicket I thought it was a better wicket than it actually played so it was a little bit for the bowlers and I thought we exploited that brilliantly.