T20 Blast final: Kent Spitfires beat Somerset to lift trophy for second time

Kent's second T20 Blast trophy was their first piece of silverware in 14 years

Kent Spitfires proved too strong for Somerset under the Edgbaston lights as they won the 2021 T20 Blast by 25 runs.

Jordan Cox, with 58 not out off 28 balls, and England's Zak Crawley (41) were the stars in Kent's 167-7.

But Somerset fell short on 142-9 as 2007 victors Kent won a second title.

It is 14 years since Kent won their only previous T20 title, beating Gloucestershire, also at Edgbaston. And two of their team that day, 45-year-old Darren Stevens, in the semi-final win, and 35-year-old Joe Denly, with three wickets in the final, played big roles.

Kent got off to a poor start when spinner Roelof van der Merwe got stuck into their top order, just as he had done to Lancashire in last month's quarter-final.

Crawley began the recovery before Cox took over responsibilities, first playing the supporting role in a 36-run stand with Jack Leaning, then marshalling the rest of the batters to a defendable total.

Somerset had performed a near miracle earlier in the day to recover from 79-6 in their two-wicket semi-final win over Hampshire.

But, despite 43 from teenager Will Smeed on the ground where he had starred for Birmingham Phoenix in the Hundred this summer, there was to be no second great escape.

More to follow.