91�ȱ�

Leicestershire's Josh Cobb claimed four wickets as Somerset were beaten by 18 runs to suffer their third consecutive domestic T20 final defeat at Edgbaston.

Cobb (4-22) also ran out Arul Suppiah as retiring wicketkeeper Paul Nixon celebrated his final game on English soil by winning a major trophy.

Will Jefferson (35) and Abdul Razzaq (33) helped the Foxes to 145-6.

Somerset struggled to 127-9 off their 20 overs as Leicestershire secured their third domestic Twenty20 title.

Leicestershire's last victory in domestic 20-over cricket came in the 2006 Twenty20 Cup final when they beat Nottinghamshire by four runs at Trent Bridge.

The victory was a fitting finale for the 40-year-old Nixon, who will retire after the Champions League Twenty20 in India and take up a coaching role with the Foxes.

After Cobb was sent back to the pavilion for 18 for looping Steve Kirby's delivery into the hands of Keiron Pollard, Razzaq then built up an impressive partnership of 70 with Jefferson before being caught and bowled by the West Indies international.

Jefferson went soon after, trapped lbw by Suppiah, meaning the retiring Nixon was handed his final domestic innings at the crease.

But it was not long before the veteran keeper returned to the pavilion to a standing ovation from the Edgbaston crowd, after Craig Meschede's delivery was smashed down the ground and juggled and brought under control by Pollard.

Leicestershire's collapse continued with du Toit their fourth victim in the space of eight runs leaving them on 104-5.

As the Foxes run-rate continued to slow, Andrew McDonald (14) was caught by Thomas off Pollard when aiming for the boundary.

Needing 146, Somerset made a slow start to their innings reaching 36-1 at the end of the powerplay after Marcus Trescothick (16) was caught by Cobb off Matthew Hoggard in the fifth over.

They continued to struggle building momentum as Kieswetter was bowled around the legs for 17 off 20 deliveries.

Leicestershire's bowlers continued to frustrate and, having only hit one boundary, Hildreth was caught by substitute Matthew Boyce off Cobb to leave Somerset needing 62 off 44 balls.

The arrival of the big-hitting Pollard failed to inspire Trescothick's side as he scored just one run before succumbing to a stunning Nixon catch off Wayne White's delivery.

Peter Trego (35) quickly followed before Suppiah was run out for a duck by Cobb two balls later to leave Somerset heading towards another 20-over cricket final loss.

After Cobb claimed the wickets of Buttler and Alfonso Thomas, both caught by Boyce to take his tally of catches in the game to four, Somerset's chances of securing a first domestic Twenty20 final win since 2005 looked doomed.

Craig Meschede was caught by Jacques du Toit off Razzaq and Somerset ended 19 runs short of their target.

POST-MATCH REACTION

Leicestershire wicketkeeper Paul Nixon told 91�ȱ� Sport:

"The Somerset lads are strong hitters and we had a presence against them tonight and had to show we wanted it so badly. We did that.

"The great thing about this squad is that it is a squad, everybody has won a game.

"It is so special for these youngsters to win that and they'll have belief in the big games."

Somerset batsman Peter Trego told 91�ȱ� Somerset:

"It's as disappointing as the other two really. It is the nature of Twenty20 cricket unfortunately.

"There's little words to describe how you feel. It seems to be becoming a habit, which is a shame.

"The main thig is now is to lift morale, get back on the bike as it were on Monday and secure that home semi [in the CB40]."