The Four Toms can't help but maintain perfect start

SOMERSET maintained their 100 per cent record in the Vitality Blast after cruising to a seven-wicket win over previously unbeaten Sussex Sharks at Hove on Friday.

- REPORT BY BRUCE TALBOT

Having restricted them to 166-8 after putting Sussex in, Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Tom Lammonby broke the back of Somerset's chase when they added 89 off 45 balls for the second wicket after Will Smeed departed in the first over.

Kohler-Cadmore top scored with 64 - his 42nd 50 in the format - while Lammonby made 35 and Tom Abell an unbeaten 36 as last season's beaten finalists sealed their third victory in this season’s competition with 12 balls to spare. Once again they look the team to beat in the South Group, although strangely this was only their third win at the 1st Central County Ground in T20 history.

Somerset laid the foundations with good bowling at the start and end of the Sussex innings. The Sharks could only score 36 in the powerplay and lost three wickets, and they couldn’t regain momentum when skipper John Simpson, who top scored with 58, was dismissed in the 16th over, the first of four wickets to fall for 26 as Somerset's seamers, led by Matt Henry (3-29), turned the screw.