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LIVE: Friends Life t20 quarter-finals

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Live blog coverage of today’s two Friends Life t20 quarter-finals. Surrey face Somerset at the Kia Oval before Northants Steelbacks play Durham Dynamos at Wantage Road.

5:38pm - A little bit of team news for you from the Emirates Durham ICG and it's good news for the hosts as Paul Collingwood is passed fit to play.

5:31pm - A magnificent final over from Dernbach sees wickets from the final two balls and Somerset close on 148 for six. On 22 Compton lobbed a return catch back from a clever off-cutter before Craig Meschade holed out looking for the maximum. Kieswetter finishes with 70 from 51 deliveries but will the vistors regret the manner in which he was starved of strike in the closing overs? Stay here to find out.

5:26pm - Risk brings reward for Compton who dabs Azhar through fine-leg for four. He tries again next ball, misses but gets the wide. Great little battle this. The wily seamer get a dot-ball yorker in but Compton has four more from the final ball as a reverse sweep narrowly evades backward point. What a wonderful little cameo this is turning out to be. We’re 143 for four heading into the last.

5:21pm - Good over for Somerset, rounded off by Compton getting at full-stretch to lace Dernbach through point. He's raced to 11 from five deliveries and Somerset are 133 for four with 12 balls to go.

5:17pm - Well if you thought Gareth Batty was pumped up before, he’s just run in from cover to dismiss Petersen with a direct hit! The South African risked a quick single after Azhar built pressure superbly throughout the 17th over. The score is 121 for four and Nick Compton is the new batsman.

5:12pm - Wallop! Kieswetter sends Batty back over his head for a third maximum - this really is a superb display of controlled aggression. Thankfully, as far as the bowler and his team are concerned, there is little else to report from the over and he finishes with a fine return of 1-24. Azhar is back for some canny death bowling and Somerset are 117 for three.

5:10pm - WIth five overs to go Somerset are 107 for three, Kieswetter becalmed for now on 56 not out. Ansari finished with figures of 1-36 from his four.

5:07pm And it doesn't get going! Ansari is rewarded for his persistence as Buttler is stumped for three to bring Alviro Petersen to the crease.

5:05pm - Poor old Ansari came in for some treatment there – 14 from his last over. Trego followed a huge six over midwicket with a four despite the best efforts of Lewis running round from third man. But just as the all-rounder looks set for something special he is bowled by a fired up Batty for 33. Some slightly unsavoury “afters” between bowler and batsman after that wicket but, boy, how Surrey needed it. Somerset are 102 for two after 14 and Jos Buttler is the new man at the crease. The hosts must not let this partnership get going.

4:59pm - Batty’s response was to bring Dernbach back into the attack and the 12th over is a marvellous effort from the England bowler. Variations in pace and length mean one run from the first five deliveries before another brings up 50 for Kieswetter from 35 balls. Can he go big? Somerset are 85 for one after 12.

4:56pm - Kieswetter is getting his foot down – not to suggest he was at all sluggish before. Ansari is sent to the fence twice and Somerset’s opener is one away from an excellent half-century.

4:52pm - We have spin at both ends and Zafar Ansari’s first six balls of slow left-arm cost seven. Kieswetter takes the attack to Batty by thumping his next ball for four through wide long-on but the bowler retains his composure. At the halfway stage Somerset are 74 for one. Surrey are containing them reasonably well but the visitors will point to wickets in hand and some explosive batsmen to come.

4:46pm - A predominantly good over from Dernbach but an opening wide meant an extra delivery, which was a full-toss on Kieswetter’s hip. He needed little invitation to help it on its way for four and is well set with 36 from 21 deliveries. Batty is introduced and it's a measured start from the seasoned off-spinner, costing just three. Somerset are 59 for one after eight overs.

4:40pm - New man Peter Trego is away by hitting through the line for a pleasing boundary off Lewis – proper cricket shot! The ex-England medium pacer is displaying impressive control though and Somerset are 44 for one after six. Here comes Dernbach and his assorted variations.

4:35pm - Jones might have struggled there had Jade Dernbach hit with a throw from mid-off, as a quick single rounded off the fourth over. It's now a change of ends for Tremlett and Jones plays and misses before just clearing Gareth Batty at midwicket. Kieswetter is a good deal more convincing in powering consecutive straight sixes - the second is HUGE! Tremlett drops his length back to avert further damage before bowling Jones for 11. It's the yorker he tried earlier and the big paceman will have enjoyed seeing off stump uprooted. That makes it 39 for one after five.

4:28pm - That’s classic Craig Kieswetter, who makes room to crash Azhar over the offside for four. The sense remains that this game is merely bubbling under at the moment and Somerset are 19 without loss at the end of the third, with Jon Lewis replacing Tremlett to take the fourth.

4:24pm - Chris Tremlett takes the second over, which is tidy and uneventful enough until Jones slaps a full toss for four. The England seamer responds with a quality yorker and Somerset are 12 for nought as their hosts show impressive discipline in line and length.

4:19pm - Chris Jones – opening in the absence of the injured Marcus Trescothick – dispatches Azhar’s second deliver to the midwicket fence but is comprehensively beaten outside off-stump with wonderfully subtle away movement by the veteran’s next three balls. Another dot follow and Somerset are four without loss after the opener.

4:15pm - The teams are out and off we go, with Azhar Mahmood opening the bowling for Surrey. It's worth noting that this could be a very important toss Somerset to have won - only one of Surrey's seven wins in this year's competition has come when batting second.

4:10pm - The visitors to the Kia Oval are seeking to reach their fifth consecutive finals day, although they have not gone on to win the title on any of those occasions. They were champions at the same ground in 2005, two years after Surrey won the inaugural competition.

4:05pm - Somerset have England duo Jos Buttler and Craig Kieswetter but are without captain Marcus Trescothick, Alfonso Thomas leading in the latter’s absence.

4pm - Somerset suffered a blow today in their quest for LV= County Championship survival with Pakistan spinner Abdur Rehman’s late-season stint thwarted by international duty. Read about it here.

3:55pm - Surrey include England bowlers Jade Dernbach and Chris Tremlett, the latter a member of England’s squad for the third and fourth Investec Ashes Tests.

3:45pm - News of the toss at the Kia Oval follows shortly. Both sides playing there came second in their groups, Surrey taking 14 points to Somerset’s 12 to earn home advantage. Northants won the Midlands, Wales & West Group with 14 points and Durham were third in the North Group with 11.75.

3:40pm - Good afternoon and welcome to ecb.co.uk’s live blog coverage of today’s two Friends Life t20 quarter-finals. Surrey versus Somerset at the Kia Oval starts at 4:15pm and Northants Steelbacks against Durham Dynamos at Wantage Road begins at 7:10pm.


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