Gayle’s 92 powers Somerset to late win

CHELMSFORD, England, CMC – West Indies superstar Chris Gayle marked his Somerset debut with a typically stroke-filled 92 as the visitors beat Essex by three wickets off the last ball, in the English T20 Blast here Friday.

Set 177 to win, Somerset reached their target when Max Waller and Lewis Gregory scampered a single off the final ball of the game sent down by medium pacer Ravi Bopara.

However, victory was set up by the mercurial Gayle who slammed eight fours and six sixes off 59 balls, to give Somerset a powerful start.

He lost opening partner Marcus Trescothick for 20 as Somerset slumped to 49 for two in the ninth over but he proceeded to singlehandedly mastermind the victory with a superb exhibition of hitting.

Firstly, the left-hander posted 43 for the third wicket with James Hildreth (18) before putting on a further 67 for the fourth wicket with Jim Allenby (19).

Gayle started tentatively, gathering a mere six runs from his first 18 deliveries but after he exploded, required only 23 more balls to reach his half-century.

He took 19 from off-spinner Tom Westley’s second over, the tenth of the innings, before reaching 50 with a six off Bopara in the 14th over.

Gayle then ripped into 21-year-old left-arm seamer Reece Topley, taking 21 from the bowler’s third over and also clipped seamer Graham Napier for a pair of sixes in the 17th over.

He was out to the second ball of the penultimate over but by then Somerset required 13 from 11 deliveries, and managed to squeeze over the line.

Earlier, Westley top-scored with 68 from 56 and opening partner Jess Ryder got 54 from 28, in a first wicket stand of 90, which set the stage for Essex’s 176 all out off 20 overs, after being sent in.