Worcestershire see off Somerset in One-Day Cup semis

Metro Bank One-Day Cup semi-final, Worcester

Worcestershire 275-9 (50 overs): Lategan 78 (82), D'Oliveira 45 (52); Green 4-52

Somerset 141 (29.2 overs): J Rew 47 (55); Shahzad 4-36, Brookes 3-16

Worcestershire beat Somerset by 131 runs (DLS method)

Match scorecard

Worcestershire powered through to the One-Day Cup final with a 131-run victory over Somerset at New Road.

Put in, the home side posted a solid 275-9 as Daniel Lategan struck a List A-best 78 off 82 balls against a disciplined Somerset attack with Jack Leach's excellent 2-28 from 10 overs at its heart, while Ben Green also claimed 4-52.

The target looked around par on a good pitch but Somerset's top order imploded against Khurram Shahzad (4-36).

The visitors lurched to 108-7 from 23.4 overs before rain arrived with them more than 100 runs behind the DLS score.

After the resumption they further crumbled to 141 all out despite James Rew's 47 as Worcestershire emphatically secured a place in the final at Trent Bridge on 20 September.

Somerset chose to bowl but were kept waiting for their first breakthrough as openers Lategan and Brett D'Oliveira (45) added 85 in 15 overs.

The bowlers gave little away though and as risks were taken in search of acceleration, wickets began to fall.

D'Oliveira drilled Kasey Aldridge to extra cover and Kashif Ali was caught with the greatest nonchalance by Finley Hill on the mid-wicket boundary off Green, while Jake Libby skied Aldridge to mid off.

Nineteen-year-old Lategan posted a polished maiden fifty but fell lbw, reverse-sweeping Leach as the spinner built pressure which also saw him bowl Rob Jones.

After Ethan Brookes was lbw, sweeping Tom Lammonby, Worcestershire needed some late-order contributions and they got them from Henry Cullen (32 off 30) and Matthew Waite (24 off 26) before Tom Taylor clubbed three sixes in an unbeaten 22 off 10 balls.

Pakistan international Shahzad then began with two wides, one of which went for four, in his first three balls.

But Lammonby and Lewis Goldsworthy were beaten for pace when trying to pull and sent up catches, Archie Vaughan was brilliantly caught by Ben Allison at mid-wicket and Thomas Rew edged to slip.

Worcestershire's other seamers deepened Somerset's plight. Waite had Joshua Thomas well-caught by Lategan on the long leg boundary and Ben Allison dismissed Hill, caught at slip, and Green, at mid off.

Green fell to the last ball before heavy rain arrived with Somerset in dire straits.

They resumed needing another 165 from 14.2 overs to reach a revised target and quickly lost Aldridge, caught behind, and Leach, stumped, off Brookes.

Last pair James Rew and Jake Ball needed to find 137 runs from 10 overs but they only managed five before Rew lifted Brookes (3-16) to long off to trigger loud and long celebrations from the home fans.

ECB Reporters' Network supported by Rothesay.

Worcestershire batter Dan Lategan:

"That was amazing, I couldn't be happier. It was a bit tough early on with a bit of movement like we know there always is at New Road but we started off really well.

"I tried my best and then with a few wickets falling tried to keep my head and take less risks, I was disappointed to get out but then the guys down the order got us up to a good score.

"We would have liked closer to 300 but we were very confident and I think that showed in the powerplay when we came out with lots of energy, it was an amazing spell just before the rain came when we kept taking wickets.

"Somerset bat deep so after every wicket we said we know there is more talent coming in so let's keep our energy and keep taking wickets.

"I have loved being in the team for this competition, It is such a great environment in the dressing room which has helped me immensely and we have had fantastic support at our home games, I think as a team and a unit we deserve to be in the final."

Somerset One Day Cup coach Paul Tweddle:

"We have been outplayed - we started pretty well with the ball but fair play to them they came at us hard and played some really good shots in that first 10 overs.

"Then we got ourselves well back into the game in the period from 10n to 40 overs when Jack Leach did a great job and the other guys dragged us back into the game, we got ourselves into a position where at halfway we knew that it was going to be tough but we felt like we could be there or thereabouts with the target.

"But then we never really managed to get a stranglehold on the game when we batted, we did not really adapt to the conditions and found it difficult on that wicket and sometimes when you do that you lose wickets and that makes it harder and harder.

"They bowled really nicely at us through those periods which built pressure and didn't allow us to get back into the game."