JACK Leach picked up three wickets on his T20 debut, as Somerset eased to a seven-wicket victory over Surrey in the Vitality Blast on Wednesday night.

Nine years after playing his first match for the county, the 30-year-old England slow left-armer took 3-28, including the key wicket of Will Jacks (65), to help restrict Surrey to 146-8.

Somerset lost Tom Banton cheaply, but James Hildreth and 19-year-old Will Smeed broke the back of the chase with a second-wicket stand of 103, Somerset's second-highest for any wicket in T20 cricket.

Hildreth celebrated his 200th T20 appearance with an unbeaten 72, off 59 balls and including nine fours and two sixes, as Somerset wrapped up their second win in the South Group with eight balls to spare.

Earlier, Jacks had lodged his second Blast half-century of the season from 43 balls, including a brutal assault on Josh Davey in the fifth over, when he took 20 off the Somerset seamer from four successive balls.

Jamie Smith had become Leach’s first victim in his second over thanks to a well-judged catch over his shoulder by Ben Green.

Jacks and Laurie Evans put on 52 for the second wicket, but Surrey struggled to accelerate after a mix-up led to Evans (10) being run out in the eighth over.

Somerset’s spinners relished the turn on offer, not least Leach, who returned to the attack in the 12th over to have his former team-mate Jamie Overton (8) caught at extra cover before claiming Jacks in his next over, when the Surrey player holed out to Max Waller at long off.

After Jacks, the hosts' next highest scorer was Rory Burns, who made 18 before picking out Craig Overton at deep mid-wicket, off the bowling of Lewis Goldsworthy (1-26).

Craig Overton (1-20) and Waller (1-17) also bowled tidily, to give their side a great chance of chasing down the Surrey total.

The home team needed early wickets, and Banton (5) saw his disappointing form continue, as he mis-timed a pull off Gus Atkinson.

Surrey also employed plenty of spin, but Hildreth and Smeed took few risks against them, deciding instead to take on the quicker bowlers - Jade Dernbach’s solitary over going for 19.

Smeed hit five fours and three sixes to reach 42 from 29 balls, before Dan Moriarty had him caught off a leading edge.

Goldsworthy (1) was bowled round his legs by Gareth Batty, but Tom Lammonby (23*) and Hildreth got the job done.

The win takes Somerset up to fifth place in the South Group standings, with six points from six games.

Their next match is at home to Hampshire Hawks, tomorrow (6.30pm).

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James Hildreth said afterwards: "It is a really good win for us and we're very happy with how we played.

"We're aware that we need to put a run of wins together to get some momentum, and that's two wins in a row now, which is good.

"The wicket was quite tricky. It was a used pitch, quite slow and spinning, so it almost felt you had license to play some big shots.

"It was nice to get a score, and Will [Smeed] and Tom [Lammonby] came in and played with no fear to get us to the target.

"Dean Conway should be here for Friday [at home to Hampshire], which can only help."