Somerset can now proudly declare to be the staff to beat in T20 cricket in England having made three finals in a row, successful two of them.
Following their 2023 victory over Essex it was a distinct story final season as they suffered an eight-wicket thrashing by the hands of Gloucestershire.
They gave the impression to be struggling to maintain up with the required run-rate of just about 10 per over this time round earlier than Smeed and Dickson turned the sport on its head with a fourth-wicket stand of 88.
Smeed and Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who made an impressive 81 of their semi-final win over Lancashire, had obtained Somerset off to a lightning begin, taking them to 46-0 within the fifth over when Kohler-Cadmore was bowled by Sonny Baker’s fast yorker.
On a day the place 44 sixes have been struck, Kohler-Cadmore hit the most important of all of them when he swiped Chris Wooden over the Eric Hollies Stand.
However a few overs later he was gone as younger England paceman Baker yorked him with an 88mph magnificence.
At 89-3 within the tenth over, the sport was within the steadiness however Smeed continued to seek out boundaries, hitting 14 fours and a six in complete.
Maybe the essential second got here within the 14th over when Scott Currie dropped Dickson on the boundary with the required run-rate above 12 an over.
Smeed chipped Currie to James Vince on the long-off boundary six in need of a deserved century to present Hampshire hope earlier than Gregory ended it in the identical over with a 4 and a few leg-side sixes.
“The ball appears to fly right here particularly beneath the lights and the dew is available in so we all the time knew we had an opportunity,” Smeed advised BBC Radio 5 Sports activities Further.
“It was some correct hitting from Lewis [Gregory] on the finish there as nicely.
“The blokes have been unbelievable in the entire competitors, completely different folks have stood up in several video games.
“I believe that is most likely our energy, we have match winners one to 11 and if it is somebody’s day they’ll get us over the road.”
