SOMERSET all-rounder Peter Trego praised a ‘great all-round performance’ by the Somerset batting line-up after they chased down 353 to defeat Kent by four wickets at Taunton on Tuesday.

The 35-year-old top scored with an excellent 135, while James Hildreth and Dean Elgar both hit half-centuries and Adam Hose contributed a quickfire 39.

Reflecting on the performance, Trego said: “It was brilliant – even on a Taunton wicket 350 is quite a daunting challenge, but the whole team played their part.

“Hildy came in and took the pressure off me, Dean Elgar was fantastic at the start and Hosey’s little cameo at the end was tremendous – to win with a few overs to spare is credit to a great all-round team performance.”

Trego’s knock came from 119 balls and included six 4s and six 6s, one of which reached the top balcony of flats in the Somerset Stand, while he was also involved in a vital partnership of 131 with his long-time teammate James Hildreth.

“To bat with a guy like Hildy, who runs so fast between the wickets, is a test!” he said.

“We ran so many twos, whereas throughout my career I’ve normally tried to hit boundaries instead, but that kept us up with the rate.

“The crowd were magnificent and kept me going, as there were quite a few moments where I was thinking ‘I’m too old for all this’.”

Kent have been a real bogey side for Somerset in recent years, having won eight consecutive meetings between the two prior to Tuesday’s meeting, so the all-rounder took extra satisfaction in getting one over his former employers.

“We were aware of our poor record against Kent and were determined to put that right,” he said. 

“At the halfway stage we didn’t think we had done that, so to come away with a win is a massive boost for the changing room.

“In years gone by with that run rate I would probably have given it away in the seventies somewhere, so I’m really pleased to go further, though I am still disappointed that I didn’t get us over the line.

“I had in mind a 160 and walking off having done the job, but I kept in my head a target of ensuring we were chasing 80 with 10 overs to go and we pretty much stuck to that.” 

Trego’s knock was one of three centuries made on a good day for batting at Taunton, with Kent’s Alex Blake powering 116 from 58 balls as the visitors accelerated at the end of the innings.

“Blake was tremendous – from ball one he found the middle of the bat, didn’t give us any chances and hit some massive sixes so fair play to him,” Trego said. 

“It is not often you will score a 46-ball hundred and be on the losing side, but that’s what happens when you come up against us in form - the way all of our guys contributed counteracted the way Blake played.”

Having defeated Surrey, Sussex and Kent over the course of a successful week, Somerset now travel to Glamorgan looking for their fourth consecutive victory as they aim to stay top of the South Group.

“Cardiff is another place we have struggled in the last few years, but all facets of our game have been tested in our matches to date and so far we’ve come through it well,” Trego said.

“We are in  good shape - we’ve got a bit of a rest now after which we will come back fighting.”