SPINNER Jeetan Patel took five wickets to help Warwickshire beat Somerset by eight runs at Edgbaston and set up a Royal London Cup One-Day Cup final against Surrey.Ian Bell struck an unbeaten 94 to boost hopes of an England return and help Warwickshire post 284-4.
Somerset’s reply was blighted by Patel (5-42), whose five lbws included the key wicket of Peter Trego (58).
James Hildreth (44) and Ryan Davies (46) rallied but the Bears held firm to book their place at Lord’s.
Warwickshire will now face the Brown Caps, who beat Yorkshire in Sunday’s semi-final, on Saturday, September 17.
The Bears’ victory over Somerset was built on the foundations set by openers Jonathan Trott and Sam Hain, who shared 90 before the former was caught and bowled by Roelof van der Merwe for 44.
Hain (86) then put on a further 88 with Bell, whose flurry of late attacking strokes, including two straight sixes off van der Merwe, took the hosts to a competitive total.
Somerset lost regular wickets throughout their chase, with eight batsmen reaching double figures but just one – Trego – going on to make a half-century.
Only the heroics of number 10 batsman Tim Groenewald prevented the home side’s victory from being more emphatic, clubbing an unbeaten 30 off 20 deliveries to take the match to the final over.
But a series of well-directed yorkers from Oliver Hannon-Dalby (2-41) ensured Warwickshire would reach the final of the competition they last won in 2010, leaving Somerset on 276-9. (BBC Sport)