Josh Thomas delivered a career-best List A knock of 97 not out, steering Somerset to their first victory of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup season with a 35-run win over Gloucestershire at Taunton’s Cooper Associates County Ground.
After losing the toss, Somerset posted a formidable 352 for seven. Thomas was the standout performer, compiling his near-century from just 66 balls. His innings featured an array of 9 fours and 4 sixes, aided by fellow batsmen Tom Lammonby’s 83 and Archie Vaughan’s 69.
In response, Gloucestershire managed 317 all out. Graeme van Buuren top-scored with an impressive 96 not out, forming a crucial 110-run eighth-wicket partnership with Daaryoush Ahmed, who scored 52. Miles Hammond also contributed a valuable 50.
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Somerset’s innings began strongly with an opening partnership of 69 between Vaughan and Savin Perera. Vaughan reached his half-century off 47 balls, striking 9 boundaries, before falling to leg-spinner Jack Taylor. Lammonby and Johnny Connell then combined for a brisk 70-run fourth-wicket stand before Lammonby fell for 83 off 69 balls.
Thomas’s aggressive knock was highlighted by his dominant hitting down the short boundary, which proved vital in building Somerset’s imposing total. Despite narrowly missing out on a maiden List A century, Thomas’s attacking intent shone through, especially with his final over including a six.
Gloucestershire’s chase stumbled early with an early wicket, but Bracey’s quickfire 32 offered hope. The middle order’s fightback was led by Hammond and Taylor, who put on an entertaining 81 runs. However, key wickets from Somerset bowlers, including the wicket of Hammond at 135, tilted the match back in the hosts’ favor.
Somerset’s fielding efforts, including a direct hit run-out from Thomas, compounded Gloucestershire’s challenges. Van Buuren and Ahmed staged a spirited counterattack, but successive wickets broke their momentum. Van Buuren’s valiant 96 off 99 balls featured 7 fours and 3 sixes but was not enough to prevent defeat.
Reflecting on his innings, Josh Thomas said, “It was a great day for me and the team. The short boundary definitely helped; I tried to target it as much as possible. It was frustrating to fall just short of a hundred, perhaps I shouldn’t have taken that single so close to the end.”
He added, “Although we lost several players to The Hundred, those stepping up have shown they can perform, and we are confident going forward in this competition.”
Graeme van Buuren commented on the game’s conditions: “We knew it would be high-scoring with the short boundary, and 350 was chasable. Unfortunately, we didn’t quite execute as well as Somerset did. Ahmed played brilliantly and kept us fighting, but we came up short and now need to recover quickly for our next match.”