Tom Taylor’s excellent knock and a four wicket career best return from Fateh Singh proved in vain but Worcestershire Rapids are still well in contention to reach the knockout stages of the Metro Bank One Day Cup despite going down by five wickets to Somerset at Taunton.
The Rapids suffered only their second setback after winning four of the previous five games and will now be looking to bounce back strongly in Sunday’s final home fixture against Hampshire.
Worcestershire were indebted to another fine innings from all-rounder Taylor for being able to recover and reach 263 all out.
He followed up his 57 against Northamptonshire Steelbacks in his previous innings by smashing 73 off 65 balls with three sixes and seven fours.
Taylor came to the wicket at 117-5 after several Rapids players had been dismissed when looking well set and may have a question mark against some of their shot selections.
He dominated the remainder of the innings before being last out attempting another big hit.
Excellent support for Taylor came from initially Singh and then Tom Hinley who demonstrated some superb clean hitting in making 32 off just 18 balls.
Taylor also made an initial breakthrough with the new ball before Lewis Goldsworthy shared in stands of 96 with Andy Umeed and 116 with James Rew to guide Somerset towards victory.
But Singh then got amongst the wickets with three wickets in the space of five balls in a late twist and finished with 4-52 from 10 overs before Somerset eventually triumphed.
Worcestershire made two changes from the side which defeated Kent at Visit Worcestershire New Road with pace bowler Harry Darley and Taylor replacing the rested Jack Home and Hishaam Khan.
Somerset won the toss and put Worcestershire into bat on a pitch previously used during both the Vitality Blast and One Day Cup.
Ed Pollock was soon into his stride and twice cut Alfie Ogborne for four and then a lofted on-drive brought the left hander another boundary off the same bowler.
His opening partner Gareth Roderick also looked in good touch and straight drove Ogborne to the ropes and then cover drove Ned Leonard for four.
The half century stand came up in just seven overs.
Pollock, having made 30 off 25 balls with six fours, pulled Leonard into the hands of Ben Green at backward square leg.
Roderick, Worcestershire’s leading scorer in the competition, made an accomplished 35 off 41 deliveries but then helped a delivery from Ogborne around the corner and was caught at fine leg.
Jake Libby and Rob Jones played themselves in and brought the 100 up with the first ball of the 21st over.
But Jones on 14 was safely pouched at mid-wicket off Ben Green who also had the prolific Libby (24) taken at point off an attempted cut.
Rehaan Edavalath (1) then provided England spinner Jack Leach with a straightforward return catch.
Ethan Brookes scored fluently in making 33 off 37 balls with four boundaries but then took a pace out of his crease to Lewis Goldsworthy and lofted into the hands of mid on.
Singh struck the first six of the innings when he smashed Goldsworthy over wide long off and then Taylor hit Kasey Aldridge back down the ground for another maximum.
Singh (19) went back to spinner Archie Vaughan and was bowled aiming a shot square of the wicket after adding 42 valuable runs with Taylor.
Hinley made a positive start and struck Aldridge for successive sixes over deep mid-wicket before reverse sweeping Vaughan for four.
He raced to 32 in a stand of 47 with Taylor before falling at long on off Green and then Tom Sturgess (1) was run out when looking for a second run after a mix up with Taylor
Taylor continued to bat with aggressive intent and completed an excellent 53 ball half century.
He straight drove Green for another six and reverse swept Ogborne for four before being caught at long off from the bowling of Aldridge in the 48th over.
Taylor was then quickly in the thick of the action and making his presence felt when Somerset launched their reply.
He took the new ball and his very first delivery accounted for George Thomas who offered no shot to a delivery which swung back in and was bowled.
Taylor caused problems during his initial burst but the second wicket pair of Umeed and Goldsworthy gradually accelerated in adding 96 in 18.4 overs.
The introduction into the attack of Singh immediately ended the partnership.
Umeed (44) went for a slog sweep in his first over and Hinley held onto a head high chance at deep mid-wicket.
Goldsworthy completed his half century off 53 balls and Rew reached his fifty off 43 deliveries.
Singh ended the partnership after they had added 116 when Rew went for a reverse sweep and was caught by Brookes at full stretch in the covers.
He then struck with the first two balls of his next over as Goldsworthy (95) moved out of his crease and was yorked and then Sean Dickson (0) edged to Pollock at slip at 219-5 before Vaughan and Green saw Somerset to victory.
Worcestershire all-rounder Tom Taylor, who top-scored with 73, said: “I think we didn’t get enough runs. They bowled well and it felt like it was a pretty good pitch.
“We didn’t get enough runs on the board to put any pressure on. We needed early wickets to mount that pressure and we didn’t get those and unfortunately it didn’t go our way today.
“When you come here and get a pretty good pitch, you need to be looking upwards of 300 and we didn’t put quite that together today.
“The partnership I had with Ethan, I thought that was crucial but then that was broken and I said to the guys coming in (Fateh Singh and Tom Hinley) just be positive and it was my job to take it as deep as possible.
“Have I bowled a better first ball than the first one of their innings? I think so. When it left the hand it felt pretty good and luckily he (George Thomas) left it. It was a good start.
“It is a fresh attack and we started well and I felt like I beat the bat a little bit. We could have done with two or three wickets in that spell.
“We needed to put a bit more pressure on but they have got really good players and the powerplays are a really nice time to bat.”
