Andy Umeed continued his love affair with the Metro Bank One-Day Cup as Somerset launched their Group A campaign with a three-wicket victory over Kent Spitfires at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.

The opener, who averaged 87.57 in last season’s competition, hit an unbeaten 114 off 121 balls to help his side chase down a target of 268 with 3.3 overs to spare. James Rew contributed 71 off 69 balls.

The Spitfires had posted 267 all out off 49 overs after winning the toss, Joey Evison and Grant Stewart making half-centuries, while Hamidullah Qadri contributed a rapid 43. Left-armer spinner Lewis Goldsworthy, back from a loan spell with Leicestershire, claimed career-best List A figures of four for 44 and seamer Alfie Ogborne three for 58.

Kent were given a solid start by Evison and Beyers Swanepoel, who skied a return catch to Ogborne off a leading edge with the total on 31 in the eighth over.

Eighteen-year-old Ekansh Singh marked his debut with a six over mid-wicket off Kasey Aldridge before falling for 16, bowled aiming to launch another maximum off Jack Leach. Skipper Jack Leaning then helped Evison add 37, but was undone by a reverse sweep, bottom-edging a ball from Goldsworthy onto his stumps.

Goldsworthy followed up with the wickets of Evison, whose 55 occupied 69 balls, Harry Finch and Jaydn Denly as Kent became bogged down against a spin attack also featuring Leach, Josh Thomas and another 18-year-old debutant in Archie Vaughan, son of former England captain Michael Vaughan, who bowled six tidy overs of off-spin for just 16 runs.

With ten overs for their innings remaining, the Spitfires were struggling on 177 for six. But after Charlie Stobo had fallen to Ogborne, Stewart and Qadri delivered some overdue momentum, sharing 5 sixes and 7 fours in a stand of 58 off 5.1 overs as Stewart went to fifty off 32 deliveries.

Somerset’s response had reached 32 in the fifth over when George Thomas miscued a pull shot off Swanepoel to be caught at mid-wicket.

Goldsworthy made only seven before edging a catch behind off Stobo. But Umeed and Rew then assumed control, batting with increasing confidence.

Rew was first to his half-century, off 47 balls, with 7 fours and a big six off leg-spinner Matt Parkinson, drilled over long-off. Umeed soon followed, off 62 deliveries, having struck 3 boundaries.

Rew had greeted Leaning’s introduction to the attack with a six over mid-wicket. When Somerset’s young wicketkeeper deposited a short ball from Evison through mid-on for four the partnership overtook Somerset’s List A record for the third wicket against Kent, previously 108, put together by Peter Trego and Dean Elgar at Taunton in 2017.

Soon afterwards, Rew was bowled by Nathan Gilchrist, swinging to leg. Vaughan was run out backing up without facing a ball as Stobo fingertipped a Umeed drive onto the stumps and suddenly Somerset were 165 for four.

Umeed responded with a straight six off Stobo and was joined by skipper Sean Dickson, who cleared the ropes off Stewart as the pair added 40 before he carelessly pulled a catch to mid-wicket off the same bowler and fell for 23.

Josh Thomas was bowled off an inside edge by Parkinson and Aldridge also fell cheaply. But Leach thumped a six off Parkinson and Umeed repeated the dose before going to a 119-ball hundred with another maximum off Stobo as Somerset finished with a flourish on 270 for seven.

Somerset centurion Andy Umeed said: “We have some of the best white ball players in the world at Somerset and it has been fantastic for me to be able to learn from them.

“I think the One-Day Cup suits me because I am an orthodox player and 50-over cricket gives me time to develop an innings. Today James Rew took a lot of the pressure off me by playing brilliantly.

“I felt terrible about Archie Vaughan being run out backing up without facing a ball, having bowled so well on debut. It was actually quite a good shot I played and just one of those things.

“I just tried to put it out of my mind and concentrate on completing the job. Scoring a hundred and winning the game is always the ultimate feeling.” 

Kent skipper Jack Leaning said: “It was a match of ebbs and flows. While it wasn’t the result we wanted, there was so much to take out of the way we made such a close game of it and I was proud of the team for that.

“Ekansh Singh is an exciting player who will have enjoyed every minute of his List A debut. He hit one big shot to member and then had a smile on his face fielding in front of the Somerset fans, who were giving him a tough time.

“I know what that feels like, having fielded on the boundary here myself in T20 cricket. Overall, I feel we are not far away from putting our game together in a manner that will make us a very good side and when we do consistency will follow.”