ALFONSO Thomas was the hero as Somerset beat Deccan Chargers by one wicket in their Champions League opener.

Thomas and James Hildreth put on 50, then Thomas won the game with four off the final ball to finish 30 not out.

Marcus Trescothick earlier departed for 14 and a succession of batsmen holed out before Somerset chased down their target of 154 in Hyderabad.

Earlier, Andrew Puttick struck the event’s first century as Cape Cobras booked their Super Eight place.

Puttick’s unbeaten 104 was key to his side reaching 193-4 from their 20 overs, a total Otago never threatened in finishing 139 all out.

However, the later game was a far tighter affair with Somerset apparently heading for defeat despite a disappointing Chargers innings.

VVS Laxman’s Chargers team-mates failed to keep pace with him as he lashed his way to 46 before being bowled by Peter Trego, who returned figures of 2-19 while Ben Phillips took 3-31.

Having reached 86-3 in no time at all, the total would have been a let-down for Chargers.

Tirumalasetti Suman and Andrew Symonds made just six and eight respectively near the top of the order, while opener Adam Gilchrist hit 17 off one Charl Willoughby over before being removed by Trescothick in the gully.

Rohit Sharma hit 24 and Venugopal Rao 22 from 12 balls, but Somerset made a confident start to their innings despite Trescothick’s top edge, collected by Gilchrist with the former England opener on 14.

However, just as Somerset appeared to be pulling away, Gilchrist flung himself to his right to claim the wicket of Zander de Bruyn, off the bowling of RP Singh, for 19.

Justin Langer holed out to mid-off for 15 in the same over and, with the crowd behind them, Chargers assumed the ascendancy.

A couple of thumping sixes from Trego and Arul Suppiah failed to stem the innings’ slow decay, and when Symonds caught Phillips to leave Somerset 99-7, the English team looked to be heading for defeat.

But Hildreth and Thomas steadied the ship with a superb eighth-wicket partnership.
As Somerset chipped away at the total, Chargers appeared increasingly devoid of options, until Scott Styris bowled Hildreth for 25 with five to win and five balls remaining.

Max Waller was caught and bowled for a duck to add to the electric atmosphere but, with one wicket left, Thomas slashed a superb four through the covers.

Then, needing one to win from the final ball, Thomas lifted a similar shot safely over the ropes for a magical victory.

“I had to stay focused,” said Thomas.

“There was a lot of experience coming through, thinking back to the likes of Lance Klusener saying: ‘Whatever you do, take it to the last over.’

“James Hildreth came in and gave us some momentum, it was a great team effort. It was an all-round good performance.” (BBC Sport)
DECCAN CHARGERS innings
A. Gilchrist c Trescothick b Thomas 18
VVS Laxman b Trego 46
T. Suman c Trescothick b Phillips 6
A. Symonds c Hildreth b Trego 8
R. Sharma c Thomas b de Bruyn 24
S. Styris lbw b Thomas 13
Y. Venugopal Rao c Hildreth b Phillips 22
RP Singh b Phillips 2
F. Edwards not out 8
P. Ojha run-out 1
Harmeet Singh not out 0
Extras: (w-5) 5     
Total: (9 wkts, 20 overs) 153
Fall of wickets: 1-35, 2-59, 3-78, 4-88, 5-118, 6-121, 7-143, 8-144, 9-152. 
Bowling: Willoughby 4-0-44-0 (w-1), AC Thomas 4-0-25-2 (w-4), Phillips 4-0-31-3, Trego 4-0-19-2, de Bruyn 4-0-34-1.

SOMERSET innings
M. Trescothick c wkp. Gilchrist b Singh 14
J. Langer c Venugopal Rao b Singh 15
Z. de Bruyn c wkp. Gilchrist b Singh 19
C. Kieswetter c Harmeet Singh b Ojha 5
A. Suppiah c Styris b Ojha 19
P. Trego c Singh b Suman 12
J. Hildreth b Styris 25
B. Phillips c Symonds b Suman 5
AC Thomas not out 30
M. Waller c & b Styris 0
C. Willoughby not out 0
Extras: (b-1, lb-7, w-2, nb-3) 13      
Total: (9 wkts, 20 overs) 157
Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-50, 3-51, 4-59, 5-84, 6-93, 7-99, 8-149, 9-149.
Bowling: Edwards 2-0-23-0 (w-1, nb-2), RP Singh 4-0-23-3, Harmeet Singh 1-0-13-0, Ojha 4 0 20 2, Sharma 2-0-13-0, Styris 3-0-24-2, Suman 2-0-15-2 (w-1), Venugopal Rao 1-0-9-0, Symonds 1-0-9-0.
Points: Somerset 2, Deccan Chargers 0.