Twenty20 record smashed

Somerset’s batsmen had a field day at the County Ground, Taunton yesterday as innings from Australians Cameron White and Justin Langer saw them smash the record for the highest score in a twenty-over game. Nondescripts Cricket Club’s record score of 245-4 was surpassed with an over to spare as the home side recorded a 117-run win over Gloucestershire.

White, who was captaining Somerset from number three in the continued absence of Ian Blackwell, scored a scorching 116 not out from only 53 balls. Langer racked up 90 in his first Twenty20 match and his first game for Somerset, taking only 46 balls to get there before being bowled by Ian Harvey.

White and Langer hit thirteen sixes between them, nine of them coming from the bat of the giant Victorian, who played much of his innings without a helmet. White’s score was also the joint-highest individual innings in the history of Twenty20 cricket – Graeme Hick and Ian Thomas have also made scores of 116*, although White’s came from fewer balls.

Somerset 250/3
Cameron White 116* (53), Justin Langer 90 (46)
Ian Harvey 3-46

Somerset won by 117 runs

Gloucestershire 133
Jon Lewis 43 (22)
Charl Willoughby 4-30, Arul Suppiah 2-16