Somerset 162 for 4 (Abell 47, Thomas 42) beat Sussex 158 for 9 (Ward 39, Green 4-17)
Ben Green's four-wicket haul propelled Somerset to a six-wicket victory over Sussex Sharks, pushing them to second place in the Vitality Blast South Group at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.
After losing the toss, Sussex struggled to 158 for 9, with Harrison Ward's brisk 39 being the highlight. Medium-pacer Green shone with the ball, claiming 4 for 17 from his three overs.
Somerset chased down the target with 2.2 overs remaining. George Thomas hit 42 with seven fours, Tom Abell remained unbeaten on 47, and Sean Dickson added a vital 28. Tymal Mills was the standout bowler for Sussex, taking 2 for 28.
This win guaranteed Somerset a quarter-final berth and positioned them as favourites for a home tie with one group game left.
Sussex’s powerplay highlights included Daniel Hughes hitting three consecutive fours off Craig Overton in the third over, and Ward launching the first six off Jake Ball in the fifth over. By the end of the powerplay, Sussex was 49 for 1.
Ward continued aggressively, hitting a four and six off Jack Leach's first two balls, but the left-arm spinner quickly dismissed him with a sweep shot. Green then struck twice in his first over, removing Tom Clark and John Simpson, both caught in the deep, reducing Sussex to 71 for 4 at the halfway mark.
Tom Alsop was dropped by Thomas off Green’s first ball of the 13th over but fell to the next, caught by Overton at mid-on. James Coles (26) and Nathan McAndrew (20) were run out by Dickson while attempting risky runs, and Green claimed his fourth wicket as McAndrew was caught by Dickson.
Sussex’s total seemed insufficient, and Somerset proved it. Tom Banton and Thomas set a strong foundation with a 34-run stand in four overs. Banton was dismissed by Mills, but Somerset ended the powerplay at 56 for 1.
Thomas and Tom Kohler-Cadmore took the score to 70 before Thomas was caught off Danny Lamb. Abell survived a caught and bowled chance off Mills, who later dismissed Kohler-Cadmore for 20. Abell and Dickson both hit sixes, with Dickson sealing the match with three successive boundaries off McAndrew at the start of the 13th over.
Though Dickson was run out by Clark's direct hit from the boundary, he had already ensured Somerset's victory.