James Rew stars in Somerset comfortable win against Warwickshire

With a seven-wicket victory over the Warwickshire Bears at Edgbaston, Somerset continued their strong start to the Vitality Blast title defense. James Rew's brilliant play led the way for the victory. After chasing down Warwickshire's 189 for 6, Luke Gregory's team now has two victories out of two. Somerset reached 193 for 3 with ten balls to spare after Tom Banton (47) laid the foundation on which Rew built with a superb 93 (48 balls, nine fours, four sixes). It was a knock that underlined Rew's class and, now a member of the Test squad, could put him in the frame to replace Warwickshire's Jacob Bethell in England's XI should the Test No.3 be unable to shake off a finger injury sustained at the IPL. The Bears are already falling behind in the group after two defeats, despite the defending champions' explosive start to the group stage. Warwickshire chose to bat and soon lost Alex Davies, who skied Craig Overton to extra cover. A quirky powerplay saw the Bears reach the six-over mark at 51 for 1, 20 having come from one over and 31 from the other five. The 20 was hammered off Jake Ball's first over by Yates who struck some sweetly-timed strokes, none sweeter than his last, hammered into the hands of extra cover off Gregory. Webster and Hain added 45 in five overs but, after Webster lapped Ball to the wicketkeeper, it was skipper Ed Barnard who supplied the necessary impetus with an 11-ball 28 including three sixes. Hain also found his range as the innings deepened, reaching his 38th T20 half-century, from 32 balls, with a six buried far over long leg off Daniel Sams. Will Smeed, who knocked out Olly Hannon-Dalby with a long leg, was quickly taken out by Somerset, but Banton hit two sixes and six fours before succumbing cruelly. Having just left a dent in a fork-lift truck on the building site with a six off Usman Tariq, he was run out backing up when Barnard deflected Rew's straight drive on to the stumps. After that, Rew took full command. The game was still in the balance until he laid into spinners Tariq and Tazeem Ali with a blitz of fours and sixes in the 14th and 15th over. Somerset entered the final three overs needing six runs when he made that spectacular assault, taking him past 50 in 33 balls. The home fans, aware that they had witnessed a special talent, gave Rew the warm ovation he deserved after sending up a catch off Tariq with three balls remaining. In this year's Blast, Somerset is unquestionably the team to beat. The Bears, after quarter-final defeats in each of the last five years, already have their work cut out to reach a sixth successive quarter-final.