Northamptonshire 189 for 3 (Procter 85, McSweeney 69*) beat Somerset 185 (Lammonby 40, Keogh 4-35, Chahal 3-35) by seven wickets Luke Procter hit an excellent, well-paced 85, his highest List A score for Northamptonshire, to take the Steelbacks to a crushing seven-wicket victory over Somerset in the Metro Bank One Day Cup at Wantage Road.
Procter was joined in a stand worth 136 runs in 22 overs by Nathan McSweeney, who made an unbeaten 69, passing 15,000 List A runs in the process. The pair came together with the Steelbacks reeling at 10 for 2, but they kept well ahead of the required rate as the hosts won with 20 overs to spare.
Earlier Steelbacks spin twins Rob Keogh and Yuzvendra Chahal ran through Somerset's batting line-up, skittling them for 185.
Off-spinner Keogh returned career-best List A figures of 4 for 35, beating his previous best of 4 for 49 also against Somerset on this ground in 2023, while Indian international leg-spinner Chahal took 3 for 35. Procter also took 2 for 20.
Opener Tom Lammonby top-scored with 40, but Somerset lost wickets at regular intervals and were unable to build any sizable partnerships.
Lammonby and Johnny Connell posted 53 against some testing early Steelbacks bowling, Tian Louw finding plenty of movement.
But while Lammonby leaned into a drive off Louw and advanced to play him through mid-off, Dom Leech broke through when Connell edged behind off an attempted hook. Soon after, Lammonby chipped Procter to short cover where George Bartlett took a stunning diving catch.
Theo Lamey fell next, skying a catch to cover as he attempted to work a Procter delivery legside, while Lewis Goldsworthy was trapped lbw by Keogh.
Archie Vaughan worked Louw off his hips for consecutive boundaries, but he was smartly stumped by Lewis McManus when Chahal drew him forward with one that turned away.
Kian Roberts punished a rare drag-down from Chahal, but he was struck on the pads playing back to Keogh and trapped lbw. Keogh then picked up Josh Thomas (26) when he swept straight to deep square-leg.
Josh Shaw attempted to up the pace before pulling Keogh straight to deep midwicket, a fate that also befell Jack Leach when he swept Chahal.
Jake Ball crashed Chahal over deep midwicket for a huge six but he was caught behind advancing down the wicket.
Chasing, the Steelbacks were soon reeling after Gus Miller chipped a catch to short-leg off Ball and McManus skied a catch to mid-on off Shaw.
Procter though drove fluently through midwicket and cover off Shaw, while McSweeney crunched Ball through cover-point.
While the pair were content to put away the bad ball and keep the scoreboard ticking, McSweeney unfurled a sumptuous cover drive off Leach and slashed Roberts just past backward point.
Procter reached 50 with a delicate sweep off Leach before the Steelbacks pressed the accelerator. McSweeney punished a Leach free-hit with an enormous six over midwicket to take Northamptonshire into three figures, while Procter smashed Vaughan straight for a six and two fours.
McSweeney swivelled to pull Lammonby for consecutive boundaries before Procter smashed Vaughan over mid-on for four. Although he edged behind next ball, by now the required rate was around 1.3 and with Bartlett and McSweeney both smashing Vaughan for six, victory was assured.
