IT WAS a bad day at the office for Somerset in the Vitality Blast on Sunday as they beaten away at Worcestershire.

This defeat is a further setback to Somerset chances of reaching the next stage of the competition. With four matches remaining the Cidermen need to win every one to have any chance of finishing as one of the best third placed teams from the group stages.

After being asked to bat at their New Road ground the Worcestershire Rapids were lifted by an unbroken 58-run partnership between Sikandar Raza (42) and Brett D’Oliveira (41*), who accelerated the innings to what turned out to be a competitive total of 180 for 5 wickets,.

Pick of the Somerset bowlers was Daniel Sams who claimed 2 for 29 from his 4 overs.

When Somerset replied they found themselves 24 for 2 in the fourth over before Tom Banton and James Rew shared a third wicket stand of 60, when both perished in quick succession,

The bowler responsible was Matthew Waite who broke the stand by dismissing Rew for 36, caught by Kashif Ali at deep midwicket. Usama Mir then removed Banton for 30, deceiving him in flight before D’Oliveira completed the catch at long-on.

Two balls later, Thomas Rew was trapped lbw by Mir, reducing Somerset to 87 for five after losing three wickets for three runs.

Mir completed his spell with figures of three for 34 as Worcestershire took control.

Daniel Sams fell soon after, caught by Kashif Ali, before Waite removed Lewis Goldsworthy and Craig Overton to finish with figures of three for 23.

Allison claimed the final wicket of Alfie Ogborne as Somerset were dismissed 36 runs short.