Somerset beat Essex by 14 runs in the Vitality Blast 2023 final at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Sunday to clinch its second title. It last won the championship in 2005 when it beat Lancashire Lightning in the summit clash at The Oval.
The last time Somerset won the T20 Blast was under the leadership of former South Africa captain Graeme Smith, who struck an unbeaten 64 to guide his team to victory. The Somerset playing XI in the final in 2005 included the likes Marcus Trescothick, Ian Blackwell, Andy Caddick and Charl Langeveldt.
Leicestershire and Hampshire are the most successful teams in the T20 competition, having won the title on three occasions each. Somerset joins Kent, Northants and Notts in winning the title twice.
Surrey, Sussex, Middlesex, Birmingham, Lancashire, Worcestershire and Essex have won the title once each.
Somerset successfully defended 145 as Matt Henry picked four for 24 and was helped by Ish Sodhi (three for 22) and Lewis Gregory (two for 25) in wiping out Essex’s batting line-up.
Daniel Sams, however, ensured the match went down to the wire. With Essex needing 21 runs to win off 12 balls with one wicket in hand, Sams hit Henry for a six off the first ball of the 19th over to bring the equation down to 15 off 11. Tom Cohler-Cadmore then pulled off a stunning one-handed catch diving to his left at short third-man to dismiss Sams and hand Somerset its first title in 18 years.
Earlier, Somerset rode on Sean Dickson’s 35-ball 53 to reach a respectable 145 in 20 overs after being inserted by Essex. Shane Snater and Paul Walter were the pick of the bowlers for Essex, picking three wickets apiece, as Somerset lost wickets at regular intervals.
Essex had a disastrous start to its innings, losing its first five wickets for 55 runs inside eight overs. Sams fought hard with a 26-ball 45 but it eventually wasn’t enough.
| YEAR | WINNER | RUNNER-UP | VICTORY MARGIN | VENUE |
| 2003 | Surrey Lions | Warwickshire Bears | Won by nine wickets | Trent Bridge |
| 2004 | Leicestershire Foxes | Surrey Lions | Won by seven wickets | Edgbaston |
| 2005 | Somerset Sabres | Lancashire Lightning | Won by seven wickets | The Oval |
| 2006 | Leicestershire Foxes | Notts Outlaws | Won by 4 runs | Trent Bridge |
| 2007 | Kent Spitfires | Gloucestershire Gladiators | Won by 4 wickets | Edgbaston |
| 2008 | Middlesex Crusaders | Kent Spitfires | Won by 3 runs | Rose Bowl |
| 2009 | Sussex Sharks | Somerset Sabres | Won by 63 runs | Edgbaston |
| 2010 | Hampshire Royals | Somerset | Won by losing fewer wickets | Rose Bowl |
| 2011 | Leicestershire Foxes | Somerset | Won by 18 runs | Edgbaston |
| 2012 | Hampshire Royals | Yorkshire Carnegie | Won by 10 runs | Sophia Gardens |
| 2013 | Northants Steelbacks | Surrey | Won by 102 runs (D/L) | Edgbaston |
| 2014 | Birmingham Bears (Warwickshire) | Lancashire Lightning | Won by 4 runs | Edgbaston |
| 2015 | Lancashire Lightning | Northants Steelbacks | Won by 13 runs | Edgbaston |
| 2016 | Northants Steelbacks | Durham Jets | Won by 4 wickets | Edgbaston |
| 2017 | Notts Outlaws | Birmingham Bears (Warwickshire) | Won by 22 runs | Edgbaston |
| 2018 | Worcestershire Rapids | Sussex Sharks | Won by 5 wickets | Edgbaston |
| 2019 | Essex Eagles | Worcestershire Rapids | Won by 4 wickets | Edgbaston |
| 2020 | Notts Outlaws | Surrey | Won by 6 wickets | Edgbaston |
| 2021 | Kent Spitfires | Somerset | Won by 25 runs | Edgbaston |
| 2022 | Hampshire Hawks | Lancashire Lightning | Won by 1 run | Edgbaston |
| 2023 | Somerset | Essex | Won by 14 runs | Edgbaston |
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