Watch: Somerset won the 2023 T20 Blast in style with Tom Kohler-Cadmore claiming a brilliant, one-handed diving catch to take the last wicket of the final.
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Despite only managing 145 all-out from their innings, Somerset were well on top of Essex from early on in the chase. They took four wickets inside the first five overs of the innings to reduce Essex 44-4. The Somerset bowlers kept taking wickets at regular intervals and with two overs left of the chase, Essex were nine down and still needed 21 runs to win.
That equation became more realistic when Daniel Sams hit the first ball of Matt Henry’s penultimate over for six over long-on. Sams was on 45 off 24 at that stage and could realistically snatch the title from Somerset’s grasp. After a dot from the following delivery, Sams faced up again, this time to a ball banged into the pitch outside off from Henry. Sams looked to flay it through the off-side with a power square swipe at the ball but managed to get a top edge.
As the ball looped behind square over a vacant slip region, Kohler-Cadmore ran round towards it from backward-point. But, he looked still to be too far away from the ball with it rapidly dropping towards the ground, to take the catch. On commentary, Simon Doull said that the ball was ‘over’ just as Kohler-Cadmore threw out his left hand.
Leaping through the air with his hand outstretched, Kohler-Cadmore managed to grab the ball and hang onto it as he tumbled to the ground. Rolling over and over, he quickly got to his feet and threw the ball away as his teammates erupted in celebration.
Had the ball gone for four as it had looked likely to, Essex’s requirement would have been simply 11 from 11. Instead, Somerset won their second T20 Blast title, their first since 2005, by 14 runs.
Watch: Tom Kohler-Cadmore takes brilliant catch to seal Somerset T20 Blast title below
What about this from Tom Kohler-Cadmore!#T20Blast #FinalsDay pic.twitter.com/4DPmEjCXEy
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) July 15, 2023