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Dubai: The Somerset-Yorkshire match, to be held today at the Zayed Cricket Stadium today, may decide the winners of the Arch Trophy tournament.
"Somerset is at the top of the table with six points from three matches. If they beat Yorkshire, they would take an unbeatable lead and emerge the winners. If Yorkshire win this match, then the winners can be decided only on completion of the tournament," Matthew Jackson, chief organiser of the tournament, told Gulf News.
Yorkshire, now on two points, will have to win all their remaining matches to finish on top with eight points.
Lancashire have played all their four matches and have picked six points while Essex too have completed their four matches but have only four points.
After Yorkshire meet Somerset today, they will take on Sussex tomorrow. On March 28, Yorkshire will meet UAE.
Somerset, meanwhile, extended their winning streak with a four-wicket win over Sussex on Sunday night.
Batting first, Sussex posted a challenging total of 220 runs despite a top order collapse. Somerset reached the target with 14 balls to spare, mainly due to an excellent start from their openers Peter Tergo and Carl Gazzard. The pair put on 130 runs. Tergo missed his century by just six runs but his innings was studded with 10 boundaries and a six came off 128 balls. Sussex could have posted a bigger total but for right-arm pacer Steffan Jones, who took five wickets for 33 runs.
Nash goes
Jones reduced Sussex to 48 for five. He had openers Carl Hopkinson and Matt Prior, caught behind by wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter and then trapped skipper Chris Adams leg before for just one run. He also had Chris Nash caught behind for five while Trego dismissed in-form Luke Wright for nine.
Sussex would have been bundled out for a very low score, but for Rory Hamilton and Ben Brown. They put on 75 runs for the sixth wicket to steady the innings. Ollie Rayner (42), and Tom Smith (46n.o) further swelled the total.
Somerset could have comfortably sailed to the target following the brilliant opening partnership but Smith and Hamilton took two quick wickets.
Banks and Philips guided the team safely to the target, remaining unconquered on 13 and 14, respectively.
Scores
Somerset bt Sussex by four wickets. Sussex 220 in 49.5 overs (R. Hamilton 37, B.C. Brown 40, Ollie Rayner 42, Tom Smith 46n.o, P.S. Jones 5 for 33, A.V. Suppiah 2 for 18) Somerset 223 for 6 in 47.3 overs (P.D. Tergo 94, C.M. Gazzard 46, Tom Smith 2 for 41, R. Hamilton 2 for 25).
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