Somerset thrash Ireland
Skipper Justin Langer led from the front as Somerset thrashed Ireland by 128 runs to record their second Friends Provident Trophy win of the season.
The former Aussie Test star won the toss, opened the batting and hit 132 off 140 balls as his side ran up an imposing 341 for eight.
Fellow Australian Cameron White (65) and James Hildreth (41) were the other main contributors.
It was a miserable day for Ireland who crumbled to 213 all out, Charl Willoughby taking five for 33 as Gary Wilson top scored with 51.
Ireland also lost Andre Botha with a dislocated finger, sustained when trying to stop an Ian Blackwell drive off his own bowling.
Marcus Trescothick breezed to 22, with five fours, but has still to play a really major innings this season and will have been disappointed to edge an away swinger from David Langford-Smith in the eighth over to depart caught behind with the total on 36.
Langer and White then embarked on a second-wicket stand of 142, which put Somerset in control.
They brought the hundred up in the 19th over and the next from Langford-Smith went for 20 as White launched two big sixes to move to his half-century.
Kevin O’Brien was also dispatched over the ropes before White tried one big hit too many and lofted a catch to wide long-on.
Hildreth needed just 28 deliveries to make his 41, smashing a six and six fours, before being nonchalantly caught by Trent Johnston at cover off a full-blooded hit to make the score 263 for three.
Langer gave a caught and bowled chance to Kyle McCallan on 112 but stayed at the crease until the total reached 307, when he was yorked by Langford-Smith, whose 10 overs cost 91 runs.
Any remote chance Ireland had of reaching a target of 343 disappeared during Willoughby’s opening spell of seven overs from the Old Pavilion End.
The left-armer sent back Will Porterfield for a first ball duck and followed up with the wickets of O’Brien and Jeremy Bray (27).
It was 73 for four when Andrew White swung a short ball from Parsons straight to Hildreth at deep mid-wicket and 98 for five when another long hop, this time from Steffan Jones, was top-edged by Peter Gillespie to White at backward point.
A lively partnership of 57 between McCallan (34) and Gary Wilson salvaged some Irish pride until McCallan was run out by White answering Wilson’s call for a single to cover.
