James Rew delivered a stunning unbeaten career-best century, leading Somerset to an 18-run victory over arch-rivals Gloucestershire at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton, in the Vitality Blast.
Fresh from his England Test debut earlier this month, the 22-year-old Rew smashed 116* off just 56 balls, featuring 14 fours and 5 sixes, as Somerset posted a formidable total of 194-7.
D’Arcy Short also played a crucial role, top-scoring in the chase with a quickfire 59 from 34 balls and earlier contributing with the ball by taking 3-24. However, Gloucestershire’s middle order faltered under pressure. Kamran Dharival’s brisk 38 off 20 deliveries showed promise before Riley Meredith’s three-wicket haul (3-30) stifled their progress, restricting Gloucestershire to 176-7.
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Gloucestershire won the toss and struck early, with Liam Scott and Marchant de Lange removing openers Tom Banton and Will Smeed in swift succession. Tom Kohler-Cadmore followed soon after for 4, hoisting a catch to long-on off de Lange as Somerset slumped to 47-3 by the end of the powerplay.
The setbacks mounted as de Lange’s incisive bowling claimed more victims and Somerset’s innings wobbled to 98-5 at the halfway stage. But Rew was dropped on 38 by Daz Ahmed at deep mid-wicket, an escape he capitalized on with a breathtaking 50 off just 23 balls, including 6 fours and 2 sixes.
Rew then unleashed a flurry of boundaries, hitting two sixes in a Scott over and clearing the deep mid-wicket fence to bring up his century in just 43 balls—the second fastest in Somerset T20 history, behind Johann Myburgh’s 42-ball ton in 2018. He added a vital 47-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Craig Overton and anchored the innings until the end.
Chasing, Gloucestershire’s hopes rested on D’Arcy Short, who matched Somerset’s intent with an aggressive half-century off 31 balls. However, once Lewis Goldsworthy broke the partnership by dismissing Short, Gloucestershire lost momentum. Successive wickets from Goldsworthy and Riley Meredith dismantled the middle order.
Despite Kamran Dharival’s late surge, hitting 3 sixes and 2 fours, Somerset’s disciplined bowling held firm, sealing an 18-run win.
Reflecting on his performance, James Rew said, “Gloucestershire have been tough opponents, so this win feels special. I was lucky to stay in after that drop, which let me play my shots and build confidence in this format. Reaching the second fastest century for Somerset was a dream—I remember watching Johann Myburgh achieve that as a kid. My teammates encouraged me to keep pushing for a big total, and our bowlers did the rest.”
Gloucestershire captain Jack Taylor acknowledged Rew’s brilliance and expressed frustration, “It was a chaotic match with moments of good play, but also lapses. Our bowling started well, giving us early wickets, but we couldn’t capitalize on that. Letting Rew off with a dropped catch was costly. We believe in our team’s potential and are aiming to bounce back in upcoming matches.”