Report: Somerset v Warwickshire, Metro Bank One Day Cup

Ed Barnard’s career-best List A score of 94 guided Warwickshire to a four-wicket Metro Bank One Day Cup victory over Somerset at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.

Jake Lintott claimed three for 43 as the home side were bowled out for 230 inside 47 overs after losing the toss, Lewis Goldsworthy top scoring with 78, while George Bartlett contributed 74.

In reply, Warwickshire made 233 for six, winning with 6.2 overs to spare with Barnard leading the way, facing 111 balls and striking 11 fours.

On a cloudy afternoon in front of a 4,500 crowd, the hosts soon plunged into trouble. George Thomas fell to the third ball of the game, caught at slip by Rob Yates off Ed Barnard without scoring.

It was 12 for two when Andrew Umeed edged Oliver Hannon-Dalby to second slip and 24 for three when James Rew had his stumps scattered by the same bowler.

Somerset’s new one-day captain Sean Dickson cover drove his first ball from Hannon-Dalby for four, but had made only 15 when nicking a back foot shot off George Garrett through to Michael Burgess.

Bartlett also hit his first delivery for four, but from 64 for four, he and Goldsworthy had to play with care, rotating the strike with plenty of singles.

The fifth-wicket stand was worth 96 in 19 overs when Goldsworthy miscued an attempted slog sweep off Lintott and was caught by Kai Smith running in from deep mid-wicket.

Campher’s first innings for Somerset lasted only five balls, ending when he drove a delivery from Lintott straight back at the bowler, who did well to hold a sharp return catch.

Bartlett’s attractive 83-ball knock concluded when he was caught at short fine leg by Hannon-Dalby.

Danny Lamb, making his Somerset debut on loan from Lancashire, hit 4 fours, including two ramp shots off Hannon-Dalby, in his unbeaten 28. But Ned Leonard was stumped advancing down the pitch to Lintott and Jack Brooks run out by a smart piece of fielding by Barnard at backward point before last man Shoaib Bashir edged a catch behind off Garrett.

Somerset’s total looked below par on the fast-scoring ground.

Warwickshire openers Yates and Barnard batted positively to take the score to 33 in the eighth over when Yates edged a catch to wicketkeeper Rew off Brooks.

Barnard looked in good touch from the start, striking 8 fours in moving to a fluent 55-ball half-century, and finding an equally aggressive partner in skipper Will Rhodes as they confidently added 78 for the second wicket in 13 overs.

Rhodes scored at almost a run a ball in his 41-ball innings of 38 before pulling a ball from Campher to mid-wicket where Bartlett held a good low catch to make it 111 for two.

Burgess had made only three when Campher penetrated his defence to bowl him and left-arm spinner Goldsworthy quickly followed up by having Brookes caught at cover off a skyer to leave Warwickshire 126 for four at halfway.

Hamza Shaikh lofted Goldsworthy over long-on for the first six of the innings before a two off Campher took Barnard past his previous best List A score of 85 not out, made for Worcestershire against Hampshire at Southampton.

Shaikh pulled another six over deep square before departing for 38 to a fine boundary catch by Brooks, who then ended Barnard’s match-winning contribution by having him caught behind.

By then, Warwickshire were within 29 of their target and Smith and Lintott completed the job.

Barnard said: “Opening the batting came from a conversation a few weeks ago. I knew we would be a few batters short for this competition so I threw my hat into the ring and the coach gave me the go-ahead.

“It couldn’t have gone much better. I would be lying if I pretended there wasn’t a tinge of disappointment at not quite reaching my first List A century, but a career-best is a good milestone and most important thing was that the team won.

“Young Hamza Shaikh played beautifully. After a slow start, some of the shots he produced were fantastic and one of the umpires said to me that he was a young player to watch out for.”