Archie Vaughan run out without facing a game on top debut in Taunton
Somerset 270 for 7 ( Umeed 114*, Rew 71 ) beat Kent 267 ( Evison 55, Stewart 51, Goldsworthy 4-44 ) by three wickets
Andy Umeed continued his love encounter with the Metro Bank One-Day Cup when Somerset launched their Group A strategy with a three-wicket triumph over Kent Spitfires at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.
The opening, who averaged 87.57 in last season's competitors, hit an unbroken 114 off 121 balls to support his part chase down a target of 268 with 3.3 overs to give. James Rew contributed 71 off 69 pellets.
The Spitfires had posted 267 all out off 49 innings after winning the toss, Joey Evison and Grant Stewart making half-centuries, while Hamidullah Qadri contributed a swift 43. Left-armer spin Lewis Goldsworthy, up from a loan charm with Leicestershire, claimed career-best Record A numbers of 4 for 44 and bowler Alfie Ogborne 3 for 58.
Evison and Beyers Swanepoel made a strong start to Kent, who skied a returning get to Ogborne off the edge to score 31 in the ninth over.
Ekansh Singh, 18, made his debut playing six over midwicket against Kasey Aldridge before going for 16 and bowling against Jack Leach to earn a max. Skipper Jack Leaning next helped Evison include 37, but was undone by a slow blow, bottom-edging a game from Goldsworthy onto his trees.
Goldsworthy followed up with the wickets of Evison, whose 55 occupied 69 balls, Harry Finch and Jaydn Denly as Kent became bogged down against a rewrite assault even featuring Leach, Josh Thomas and another 18-year-old debut in Archie Vaughan, child of former England captain Michael Vaughan, who bowled six nice overs of offspin for only 16 runs.
With ten wickets for their pitches remaining, the Lancers were struggling on 177 for 6. But after Charlie Stobo had fallen to Ogborne, Stewart and Qadri delivered some late speed, sharing five touchdowns and seven legs in a walk of 58 off 5.1 innings as Stewart went to fifty off 32 sales.
Somerset's reply had reached 32 in the second over when George Thomas miscued a move shot out Swanepoel to get caught at midwicket. Goldsworthy made only 7 before edging a catch behind off Stobo. But Umeed and Rew then assumed control, batting with increasing confidence.
Rew was first to his half-century, off 47 balls, with seven fours and a big six off legspinner Matt Parkinson, drilled over long-off. Umeed soon followed, off 62 deliveries, having struck three boundaries.
Rew had greeted Leaning's introduction to the attack with a six over midwicket. When Somerset's young wicketkeeper deposited a short ball from Evison through mid-on for four the partnership overtook Somerset's List A record for the third wicket against Kent, previously 108, put together by Peter Trego and Dean Elgar at Taunton in 2017.
Soon afterwards, Rew was bowled by Nathan Gilchrist, swinging to leg. Vaughan was run out backing up without facing a ball as Stobo fingertipped a Umeed drive onto the stumps and suddenly Somerset were 165 for four.
Skipper Sean Dickson, who cleared Stewart's ropes as the pair added 40 before carelessly pulling a catch to midwicket off the same bowler, and he fell for 23.
Josh Thomas was bowled off an inside edge by Parkinson and Aldridge also fell cheaply. However, Leach and Umeed both completed the dose before posting a 119-ball 100 with another maximum from Stobo as Somerset came out strong on 270 for 7.
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