Steelbacks coach Sadler frustrated by Blast exit but pays tribute to Somerset

Chasing a mammoth 216 to win after the Steelbacks produced a below-par bowling performance, Sadler's team made a brilliant effort with the bat before ulitimately coming up short as they were restricted to 198 for five.

With skipper David Willey making 57 from 39 balls and the likes of Saif Zaib, Ricardo Vasconcelos and Justin Broad making quickfire cameos, the Steelbacks were in the game for long periods of their chase, but in the end the task proved to be too much.

And although disappointed and frustrated to lose, Sadler was quick to praise the efforts of reigning Blast champions Somerset side who are now looking forward to their fourth straight Finals Day.

"We are disappointed not to get over the line, and I thought we played a good game of cricket," said the head coach.

"We were probably chasing 20 too many maybe, but I thought we had a good go, and I think at halfway in out innings I thought we were there or thereabouts with the power we had to come.

"But credit to Somerset, they are a good side and they played a great game, so we wish them all the best next week.

"We prepped well, we had a brilliant three-day build-up, and sometimes you have to take your hat off and say well done to the opposition."

And he added: "Dave played great didn't he? We spoke about setting a platform, but chasing a big score you probably need to get off to a bit more of a flyer in the powerplay, to score another 15 or 20 and get an over in front would have been good.

"But Somerset bowled beautifully.

"Dave did play superb and it would have been nice for him to just get going for another two or three overs, but they have a lot of experience and they came on and bowled their death stuff well.

"I thought they executed their skills really well and that was probably the difference between the sides in the end."

For the visitors, Tom Banton hammered 75 from 43 balls and Tom Kohler-Cadmore 63 from 43, but the latter was given a huge lifeline when he had scored just seven.

He skied the ball straight to Gus Miller at long-off from the bowling of Ashton Agar, but the Steelbacks fielder badly misjudged his attempted catch, and in the end failed to even get a hand on the ball as it flew over his head.

It proved a costly miss, and there was also some sloppy ground-fielding mistakes, and Sadler admitted his team didn't help themselves.

"Nobody means to miss a ball, nobody means to drop a catch, that is the game sometimes," he said.

"We said before the start of the game that for us to get over the line tonight and win, we were going to have to field well and take our chances.

"You can't really drop players of their quality early in their innings, but it happens.

"We won the toss and wanted to bowl, so did we bowl at our best? Probably not.

"We then had a catch go down, a couple of misfields, and it is fine margins.

"As I say, on another day we might have been chasing 20 less and then it is a different game."