AI Simulation, SOM vs BEARS | Will Smeed’s swashbuckling half-century guides Somerset to 17-run win against Bears

ByUmesh Sharma,SportsCafe Editor

Yesterday at 9:19 PM

As per Artificial Intelligence, Somerset will beat the Birmingham Bears by 17 runs in the fourth and last quarter-final of the ongoing T20 Blast 2025. Will Smeed’s outstanding knock of 62 runs off just 33 balls will play a central role in Somerset posting a big total on the board to win the game.

Pitch and Weather

It was a classic Taunton surface, flat, hard, and tailor-made for stroke-making, with short square boundaries.

A warm late-summer evening with 20 degrees Celsius of temperature, clear skies, meant ideal batting conditions. Bowlers would need variations and accuracy to survive.

Toss

Somerset won the toss and decided to bat first.

Lineups

SOM XI: Will Smeed, Tom Lammonby, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, James Rew (wk), Sean Dickson, Lewis Gregory (c), Ben Green, Lewis Goldsworthy, Craig Overton, Jack Leach, Jake Ball.

BEARS XI: Alex Davies (c/wk), Tom Latham, Dan Mousley, Jacob Bethell, Ed Barnard, George Garton, Danny Briggs, Hasan Ali, Robert Yates, Richard Gleeson, Jake Lintott.

Match Report

After opting to bat first, Somerset’s opening pair of Will Smeed and Tom Lammonby stitched a brilliant partnership for the first wicket. This partnership came to an end when Gleeson dismissed Lammonby, getting him caught by Alex Davies, at the individual score of 25 runs off 18 balls, with four fours. Following his dismissal, Smeed and Tom Kohler-Cadmore were off stitched a fiery partnership, which was mainly dominated by Cadmore’s swashbuckling approach, hitting some outstanding fours and sixes. Hasan Ali broke this partnership by dismissing Will Smeed on the third ball of the 11th over. Smeed scored 62 runs off just 33 balls, with seven fours and three sixes. His knock was followed by Kohler-Cadmore’s 48 runs off just 27 balls, with three fours and three sixes. The late contributions of skipper Lewis Gregory’s 22 (13) and Ben Green’s 10* (7) helped Somerset post 198/6 in the allotted 20 overs. Hasan Ali scalped two wickets for 34 runs in four overs, alongside Gleeson’s two wickets for 37 runs in his four-over spell. Jake Lintott also contributed with a wicket for 36 runs in his four overs.

While chasing the target, Birmingham Bears faced an early blow, losing Alex Davies (14) on the third ball of the third over. Craig Overton dismissed Davies as the latter misjudged a shot ended up in the hands of wicketkeeper James Rew. After an early dismissal, Tom Latham and Dan Mousley adopted a steady approach to stabilise the innings with a crucial partnership. Mousley’s 26-run knock off 19 balls ended when he played a lofted shot towards the long-off region in the safe hands of Tom Lammonby off Jake Ball’s delivery. Just a few balls later in the 11th over, Jacob Bethell fell prey to Jack Leach at the individual score of just 17 runs off 13 balls. Tom Latham continued with his valiant efforts and scored a much-needed half-century, hitting 54 (37), with six fours and two sixes. Birmingham Bears’ hopes faced a big dent when Latham was caught by Smeed off Green’s delivery in the 14th over. Later in the innings, it was only Ed Barnard who contributed with 21 (14) to show some efforts in the run chase, but the failure of the lower middle order became a big reason behind the Bears falling short of the target and getting restricted to the total of 181/8 in the entire 20 overs. Overton and Ball picked two wickets each for Somerset, alongside a wicket each picked by Green and Gregory. With this win, Somerset have made it to the semi-finals of the ongoing T20 Blast 2025.

Player of the Match

Somerset opener Will Smeed won the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his swashbuckling and fiery knock of 62 runs off just 33 balls, with seven fours and three sixes. His knock gave a much-needed platform for Somerset to post a big total on the board.