Only Hampshire's Toby Albert (633) scored more runs than Will Smeed (620) in last year's T20 Blast. Somerset picked up where they left off last September as the reigning T20 Blast champions ruthlessly repeated their 2025 final victory over Hampshire Hawks on the opening night of this summer's competition.

Will Smeed produced a match-winning knock of 94 in last year's decider at Edgbaston and, eight months on at Taunton, he smashed 59 off 29 balls in a seven-wicket win to help the holders get off to a fast start in this year's tournament. The 24-year-old, who was the second-highest run-scorer in last year's Blast, reached his half-century off 22 balls as part of a first-wicket stand of 90 with Tom Banton (30).

James Rew - who has been named in the England squad for the first Test against New Zealand next month - ended on 47 not out as he and his younger brother, Thomas Rew, guided Somerset to a comfortable victory. Earlier, Hampshire captain James Vince top-scored with 58 but Somerset's bowlers, led by Craig Overton (3-27) and Jake Ball (3-28), limited the visitors to 158 all out.

Elsewhere, Warwickshire Bears were skittled for 74 by Gloucestershire, while Jonny Bairstow and Sam Billings made match-winning contributions for Yorkshire and Kent Spitfires respectively, as all 18 counties got their Blast campaigns under way.

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Jonny Bairstow followed his County Championship century against Surrey last week with a superb 83 not out in Yorkshire's T20 Blast opener. Yorkshire, who have never lifted the domestic T20 trophy, successfully chased 168 to beat Notts Outlaws at Trent Bridge.

England opener Ben Duckett was one of several Notts batters unable to kick on to a big score after getting a start - he was dismissed for 29 in Notts' 167-7. Yorkshire were 11-2 in the second over but were easy winners in the end, thanks to a third-wicket partnership of 144 between Bairstow (83 not out) and James Wharton (55).

Elsewhere, Derbyshire Falcons fell just short of their victory target of 204 against Durham. Matt Montgomery (74 not out) was on strike for Matthew Potts' final delivery of the innings with a six required to tie, but the England seamer bowled an excellent dot-ball yorker.

The remaining two North Group teams lost to sides from other groups. Lancashire Lightning were well beaten by Surrey, who are bidding to win England's domestic T20 competition for the first time since the inaugural edition in 2003. Jason Roy's 45 off 19 balls got Surrey off to a fine start, Ollie Pope made 31 and Tom Curran smashed an unbeaten 49 off 20 balls as the home side posted 213-6.

Roy took a superb slip catch to dismiss Keaton Jennings first ball - one of two scalps for left-arm paceman Reece Topley (2-27) in the opening over of the visitors' reply - and Lancashire were eventually bowled out for 154.

Meanwhile, unbeaten half-centuries from Nick Kelly and Ben Cox were not enough for Leicestershire Foxes as they lost by 18 runs to Worcestershire Rapids.

Gloucestershire's Duan Jansen is the twin brother of South Africa paceman Marco. Gloucestershire put their early season red-ball woes to one side as they bowled Warwickshire out for just 74 to claim victory at Bristol.

The 2024 winners were put into bat by the Bears and were bowled out inside 17 overs for 121, with Ben Charlesworth top-scoring with 25 as leg spinner Taz Ali collected 4-25.

The chase never really got going for the Bears, however, as Beau Webster (six), Sam Hain (nine) and captain Ed Barnard (two) all went early in the innings and at one stage the visitors had slumped to 48-6.

Chris Woakes (five) was run out by wicketkeeper James Bracey's accurate shy at the stumps as the Bears ended 48 runs short of their target, with only two players reaching double figures as debutant Duan Jansen took 4-25.

Last season's semi-finalists Northamptonshire Steelbacks squeezed past Glamorgan by three runs. Justin Broad top-scored for the Steelbacks with 38 off 25 balls and two sixes late in the innings by wicketkeeper-batter Lewis McManus helped the hosts reach 165-8, with debutant Fazalhaq Farooqi claiming 4-34 for the visitors.

At one stage, Glamorgan were 77-5 in reply and although Dan Douthwaite hit an unbeaten 51 off 34 balls, it proved to be in vain for the Welsh side as George Scrimshaw took 3-33 for the hosts in a dramatic victory.

Sam Billings' 84 not out contained nine fours and five sixes. Kent, the 2021 winners, began with a victory against last season's quarter-finalists Middlesex at Lord's. Billings hit 14 boundaries in his 84 not out as Kent set Middlesex a tough target of 209 to win.

They started strongly with openers Max Holden (20) and Adam Rossington, but when the latter was eventually caught by Fred Klaassen at fine leg for 79 off the bowling of Tom Rogers, Middlesex's chances of reaching their target had evaporated and they ended 27 runs short despite boundaries off the final two balls.

Meanwhile, John Simpson hit eight sixes for Sussex Sharks as they beat Essex at Chelmsford by six wickets. Essex openers Paul Walter (58) and Michael Pepper (52) put on 105 for the first wicket but then their innings stalled somewhat, ending their 20 overs on 191-5.

It proved insufficient for them to defend as Simpson's superb 63 off just 23 deliveries, as well as 50 off 29 from James Coles, saw the Sharks comfortably home with four overs to spare.

Glamorgan v Gloucestershire (19:00)

Durham v Leicestershire Foxes (15:30)

Yorkshire v Derbyshire Falcons (15:30)

Middlesex v Surrey (12:00)

Worcestershire Rapids v Northamptonshire Steelbacks (14:30)

Warwickshire Bears v Somerset (15:30)

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