Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. George Hill and Adam Lyth shared a fourth-wicket 58 from 41-3.
Yorkshire v Somerset, Vitality Blast, Quarter-Final, Wednesday July 15, 2026, 4.30pm, Headingley
Toss: Yorkshire won it and elected to bat.
Teams: Yorkshire – Adam Lyth, Will Luxton, Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow c/w, Matthew Revis, George Hill, AJ Tye, Hassan Ali, Logan van Beek, Dom Bess, Jafer Chohan.
Somerset – Will Smeed, Thomas Rew w, Tom Banton, James Rew, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Lewis Gregory c, Daniel Sams, Craig Overton, Lewis Goldsworthy, Riley Meredith, Jake Ball.
Match summary: What a kick in the guts that was.
A stunning, career best 79 not out off 30 balls from Craig Overton left Somerset jubilant and Yorkshire shell-shocked as the defending champions recovered from 82-8 in the 15th over to chase 162 and reach Finals Day.
Yorkshire controlled the lion’s share of Somerset’s chase. George Hill was outstanding with 2-12 from four overs, for example. Wickets tumbled, and the White Rose were on course.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Craig Overton celebrates Somerset’s last-gasp victory at Headingley this evening.
It just wasn’t to be, with the visitors getting 22 off the last over from Matthew Revis.
Earlier, Jake Ball returned 3-30 from four overs in a seam-bowler dominated game as Yorkshire posted 161-9, a total which looked under par. Adam Lyth was excellent for 64 off 40 balls.
Report: While Yorkshire were not short on early boundaries having elected to bat, they ended the powerplay in trouble at 45-3.
Moeen Ali, promoted to open, edged behind against Craig Overton for a golden duck, Jake Ball got Will Luxton caught behind down leg and Jonny Bairstow was bowled by Australian Riley Meredith.
Yorkshire’s all guns blazing approach on flat Headingley pitches has served them so well during the group stages but had to be reined in.
Lyth still hit sixes over long-off and long-on and reached his fifty off 31 balls as Yorkshire moved to 82-3 after 10 overs.
He shared 58 with fourth-wicket partner George Hill, who contributed 19 before both fell in successive overs – 103 for five in the 14th. Lyth was caught at short third off a top-edged pull at Overton.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. George Hill is congratulated on dismissing Somerset’s Thomas Rew.
Their departures were key just as the bulk of the rebuilding had been done.
And, from there, brilliant and disciplined Somerset – they only conceded four extras – squeezed the life out of the innings.
Australian Daniel Sams, who had earlier removed Hill, struck again, so too Ball twice and Meredith twice. Ball got Dom Bess and AJ Tye caught in the deep and behind.
Yorkshire felt short. There was, however, renewed hope when Hill’s seam forced a miscue from Thomas Rew to mid-off before Tom Banton, released from England’s ODI squad to play, edged Tye to slip – 18-2 in the third over.
And as good as Somerset were with the ball, Yorkshire matched them for the majority.
Hassan Ali had James Rew brilliantly caught one-handed running around from midwicket by Bess before superb Hill removed Will Smeed. Somerset were four down in the sixth over.
Former Yorkshire batter Tom Kohler-Cadmore was bowled by Dutch quick Logan van Beek – 38-5 in the ninth. Somerset needed 113 from the last 10 overs but lost Lewis Goldsworthy to Revis.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Jonny Bairstow’s side have enjoyed an impressive campaign which has ultimately gone unrewarded.
Further wickets made the chase look forlorn before Overton – he reached 50 in 22 balls – attacked with freedom, hitting three leg-side sixes in the last over from Revis and set up a morning semi-final meeting with Northamptonshire.
A single through cover won it against a Yorkshire side who didn’t bowl an over of spin.
Somerset are through to face Northamptonshire in the morning semi-final at Edgbaston on Saturday, with Hampshire and Nottinghamshire the other semi.
Turning point: The last 5.3 overs, the last over, take your pick. It will be a long time before Yorkshire lose a game like this again and a long time before Somerset win a game like this again.
Magic moment: The catch Dom Bess took to remove James Rew, one handed diving to his left having run around from mid-wicket off Hassan Ali, was surely one of the catches of the competition.
Stat of the match: Somerset needed 82 off 33 balls at 82-8. The game was realistically done. As gutted as we are, you have to give credit to Craig Overton, who played one of the all-time great innings.
What they said – Yorkshire head coach Anthony McGrath: “Not really much to say. I thought we were brilliant for most of the game.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Anthony McGrath was crestfallen as he spoke to the media this evening.
“When you have them 80-8, trying to close the game out, you’ve got to give them credit.
“It’s pretty cruel on the guys who’ve bowled, but we’ll never have a better chance of getting to Final Day.
“It’s one of them one in a hundred innings, but you’ve got to give credit to Somerset. They’re champions for a reason. We talked about it, no matter what the stage of the game, you’ve got to keep going against these boys.
“Craig apologised to us on the way off.”
What’s next: Yorkshire begin their Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign at Scarborough next Tuesday in a repeat of last season’s semi-final, versus Hampshire.
