SOMERSET are the 2023 Vitality Blast champions.

They won the final of the competition at Edgbaston over Essex by a margin of 14 runs.

It wraps up an amazing season for Somerset in which they broke the record for most group stage wins, and deservedly so were able to win in the final.

Good teams find a way to win difficult games. That's what they say.

After being asked to bat, Somerset got off to a strong start with Will Smeed and Tom Banton finding boundaries.

Smeed lost his wicket in the third over, when he knocked on to his own wicket off a Shane Snater delivery. The bowler in fact bowled only the second maiden ever in a Blast Final in this over.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore joined Banton in the middle and had some luck finding runs, and by the end of the powerplay Somerset were 46 for 1.

In the very next over though, Banton was caught out at backward point off a reverse sweep. Snater picking up his second wicket for just two runs lost in two overs.

After seven overs Somerset were 51 for 2, but the runs dried up as after 12 overs they were 75 for 4. Tom Abell and Kohler-Cadmore losing their wickets in that time.

Sean Dickson and Lewis Gregory built a small partnership, but the run rate was still limping along. Gregory was dismissed for 11 and Ben Green fell shortly after for two runs.

Dickson was the man on form for Somerset, he picked high percentage shots to work his way to a total of 53 runs off 35 balls for a potentially final saving performance.

Craig Overton (4), Kasey Aldridge (6 not out) and Matt Henry (5) made cameo appearances, but it was a tough watch as Essex outplayed Somerset with some excellent bowling. Somerset set the target at 145/10.

Essex started strong in their innings racing to 27 runs inside two overs but the power hitting was made to pay when Kasey Aldridge took a fine catch to dismiss Adam Rossington off a Henry delivery.

Henry picked up a second wicket on the first ball of his next over, clean bowling Michael Pepper. The hattrick ball wasn’t to be, but he took a third wicket with the final ball of the over, picking Dan Lawrence lbw.

Overton took his first wicket in the fifth over; Robin Das out for eight after being caught by Henry at deep mid-on and Essex were 44 for 4.

Lewis Gregory got in on the action dismissing Matt Critchley lbw for three runs and Essex were 55 for 5 after eight overs.

The wickets dried up for a while as Ben Green and Kasey Aldridge came into the attack, but importantly the runs did as well.

Ish Sodhi clean bowled Paul Walter when he came in for an over, and Essex were 80 for 6, needing 66 runs off the remaining eight and a half overs.

Gregory got the wicket of Simon Harper for three runs helped by a fine Banton catch leaving Essex 106 for 7.

With five overs to go, Essex required 40 runs from 30 balls.

Sodhi clean bowled Snater in the very next over to continue his impressive spell leaving Essex eight wickets down.

The final wickets dropped quickly from here and Somerset players erupted when Kohler-Cadmore caught the ball for the winning wicket.

The crowd too went wild with chants of 'Somerset, la la la, Somerset, la la la laaaaaa'.