Gayle’s 62-ball-151 for Somerset goes in vain

Chris Gayle ended up on the losing side despite marking his debut for county side Somerset with a remarkable hundred in their Twenty20 Blast match against Kent on Sunday.

The 35-year-old West Indies left-hander, renowned as one of the most dynamic batsmen in world cricket on Monday, struck 10 fours and 15 sixes as he made a stunning 151 not out off just 62 balls at Taunton’s County Ground.

Yet Kent still came away with a three-run win after they defended a total of 227 for seven that featured Sam Northeast’s 114. Gayle could only watch as Somerset slumped to 22 for two before the powerful Jamaican smashed three sixes in eight balls.

The big hits kept coming, three balls disappearing out of the ground landing in the nearby River Tone. But Australian seamer Mitchell Claydon starred with the ball, the seamer doing well at both ends of the innings on his way to two for 23 in his maximum four overs. Somerset coach Matthew Maynard, an aggressive batsman in his playing days, said:”I thought Sam Northeast played a sensational innings, but then the world boss came in and <g data-gr-id="28">it’s</g> different gravy.

“Words can’t explain exactly what we have seen on Monday. He makes it looks so easy and strikes the ball so cleanly. His knock almost brought off an incredible win on Monday, but it just wasn’t to be,” former England international Maynard added.

Gayle kept Somerset in <g data-gr-id="24">sight</g> of victory until the penultimate ball and disbelieving Kent skipper Northeast said: “I don’t know where to start.

“It was an incredible game and Chris’s innings was one of the best things I have ever seen. But special credit has to go to our bowlers, who stuck to their plan and kept believing.