Will Smeed blasted a quickfire half century as revitalised Somerset beat Central and West Group rivals Worcestershire Rapids by 78 runs at Taunton to qualify for the knockout stages of the Vitality Blast.

The in-form opener smashed 52 from 31 balls and shared in a whirlwind stand of 75 with Thomas Rew as Somerset posted 194 for 7 after being put in on a used pitch at the Cooper Associates Ground.

Australian quick Riley Meredith returned figures of 3 for 17 and former England spinner Jack Leach took 3 for 20 to undermine the chase as the Rapids were shot out for 116 in 16 overs despite a defiant knock of 39 from Gareth Roderick. A fifth win in six games saw the holders move above arch-rivals Gloucestershire on net run rate and finish second in the group behind Northamptonshire, while Worcestershire missed out on a quarter-final berth.

Smeed and Thomas Rew smashed 75 in an action-packed powerplay to force Worcestershire’s bowlers onto the back foot. Adopting a muscular approach, Smeed peppered the boundary on both sides of the wicket, taking Beyers Swanepoel for a huge six over midwicket.

Not to be outdone, Rew timed the ball beautifully, twice clearing the leg-side boundary rope in one Matthew Waite over to move ahead in the race to 50. Somerset’s teenage sensation had scored 42 from 19 balls when he misjudged Waite’s slower ball and was bowled.

It took the introduction of legspin to slow West Country progress, Usama Mir removing Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Lewis Goldsworthy to finish with 2 for 28 and restrict the flow of boundaries during the middle overs.

Smeed went to a 29-ball half century with two sixes and six fours, only to then hit a Taylor full toss to extra cover, while James Rew was pinned lbw by Waite after contributing a valuable 28. The advent of Lewis Gregory prompted a momentum shift, Somerset’s captain raising 28 from15 deliveries before falling to Allison. Waite accounted for Daniel Sams to close with 3 for 39, but not before the home side had posted a competitive total.

Henry Cullen scored 18 from 14 in an opening stand of 35 with Isaac Mohammed, only to be superbly held by a diving Sams at deep backward square as Jake Ball made an early breakthrough. Isaac followed in the next over, skying Meredith to mid-off.

Somerset were in control when Brett D’Oliveira drove Leach’s first ball to long-on with the score 59 for 3 in the eighth. Succumbing to Sams, Kashif Ali edged a catch behind, departing in tame fashion as the Rapids further subsided to 80 for 4 at halfway.

Pace off proved an effective weapon for Somerset, Leach making a mess of Swanepoel’s stumps as the home side turned the screw. When Leach bowled Roderick with the score 107 for 6 in the 14th, the game was up.