Worcestershire Crush Somerset by 36 Runs as Raza and D’Oliveira Star at New Road

Worcestershire won by 36 runs in match 66 of the T20 Blast 2026 at New Road, Worcester on June 28. Worcestershire posted 180/5 before bowling Somerset out for 144/9, with Sikandar Raza and Brett D’Oliveira leading the charge with bat and ball.

First Innings – Worcestershire 180/5 (20 overs)

Somerset won the toss and elected to bowl, but Worcestershire’s top order made them pay immediately. Isaac Mohammed (34 off 24, 8 fours) and Kashif Ali (10 off 8) got Worcestershire off to a brisk start before Ali fell at 33/1 in the 4th over.

Mohammed continued punching boundaries before being trapped LBW at 47/2 in the 7th over. Gareth Roderick (29 off 21, 3 fours, 1 six) maintained the momentum through the middle overs, but when he and Adam Hose (6 off 13) fell in quick succession – 80/3 becoming 86/4 inside the 12th over – the innings needed a spark.

Sikandar Raza provided it in devastating fashion. The Zimbabwean all-rounder blasted 42 off just 22 balls at a strike rate of 191, hammering 5 fours and 2 sixes to take the game away from Somerset. His partnership with Brett D’Oliveira added 58 runs before Raza fell at 144/5 in the 17th over.

D’Oliveira (41 not out off 25, 5 fours) and Henry Cullen (12 not out off 8, 1 six) then plundered 36 runs from the final 3.1 overs to push Worcestershire to a commanding 180/5.

Craig Overton was the standout with the ball for Somerset, returning miserly figures of 4-1-22-1 at an economy of 5.50. Daniel Sams (4-0-29-2) provided some control, but Riley Meredith (4-0-45-1) and Alfie Ogborne (2-0-26-0) were expensive.

Second Innings – Somerset 144/9 (20 overs)

Somerset’s chase got off to a flying start through Will Smeed (15 off 8, 3 fours), who attacked from ball one before falling at 21/1 in the 3rd over. Tom Kohler-Cadmore (1 off 4) came and went quickly at 24/2, bringing James Rew to the crease.

Rew (36 off 28, 5 fours, 1 six) and Tom Banton (30 off 26, 1 four, 1 six) rebuilt impressively, adding 60 runs for the third wicket to take Somerset to 84/2 by the 10th over. The required rate was still manageable, but what followed killed the chase.

Three wickets tumbled for just 3 runs between overs 10.4 and 11.6. Rew fell at 84/3, Banton followed at 86/4, and Thomas Rew (2 off 5) departed at 87/5 – leaving Somerset needing 94 off 51 balls with only five wickets in hand.

Matthew Waite (4-0-23-3) was the chief destroyer, while Usama Mir (4-0-34-3) and Ben Allison (4-0-26-2) chipped in with regular wickets. Craig Overton (26 off 18, 3 fours) fought valiantly with the bat, but it was too little, too late as Somerset limped to 144/9.

Statz MVP – Craig Overton (98.72)

Craig Overton earns the Statz MVP award with a match impact rating of 98.72 out of 100. His 4-1-22-1 with the ball was the most economical spell of the match, and his 26 off 18 with the bat showed genuine fight in a losing cause. The Statz MI rating calculates impact based on match context, and Overton’s contributions across both innings made him the most impactful player on the pitch – despite finishing on the losing side. No official Man of the Match was awarded for this fixture.

Top 5 Statz Ratings

1. Craig Overton (SOM) – 98.72 – Exceptional all-round display with 4-1-22-1 and 26 off 18 in a losing effort.
2. Daniel Sams (SOM) – 85.78 – Took 2/29 from 4 overs and contributed 11 with the bat.
3. Sikandar Raza (WOR) – 79.81 – Match-defining 42 off 22 with the bat plus 4 tidy overs of spin (4-0-26-0).
4. Matthew Waite (WOR) – 72.93 – Best bowling figures of the match with 3/23 from 4 overs at just 5.75 economy.
5. Brett D’Oliveira (WOR) – 62.92 – Unbeaten 41 off 25 anchored the death overs and chipped in with 1-0-4-0.

Turning Point

Somerset’s chase imploded between overs 10.4 and 11.6. With James Rew and Tom Banton having rebuilt to 84/2, the required rate was well within reach. But three wickets fell for just 3 runs – Rew dismissed at 84/3, Banton caught at 86/4, and Thomas Rew gone at 87/5 – and the chase was effectively over. Matthew Waite and Usama Mir tightened the screws from there, and Somerset never recovered.

Match Context

This was match 66 of 115 in the T20 Blast 2026 group stage. Worcestershire sit 10th with 16 points from 8 matches (W4 L4, NRR -0.581), while Somerset drop to 12th on 12 points from 8 (W3 L5, NRR -0.563). Both sides have work to do if they want to reach the knockout stages.

View the full scorecard on Statz