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Gloucestershire thrash Glamorgan at the Cheltenham Cricket Festival

14 July 2024

Jack Taylor blitzed his way to a brilliant unbeaten half century as Gloucestershire beat neighbours Glamorgan by 121 runs in a one-sided Vitality Blast encounter at Cheltenham.

Leading by example, Gloucestershire's captain smashed 80 from 35 balls with 7 sixes and 4 fours to lift his side to a substantial 206-6 in front of a packed audience at the College Ground. Cameron Bancroft posted 44 and James Bracey 31 in a second wicket partnership of 64, while Beau Webster contributed 33 in a blistering stand of 63 in 6.3 overs with Taylor for the fourth wicket as the home side achieved a record winning margin in a T20 game.

It was altogether too big an ask for Glamorgan, who were bowled out for 85 in 15.5 overs, five of their top six batsmen failing to make it into double figures and only Colin Ingram offering top-order resistance in an innings of 20. Continuing his good form in the short format, David Payne returned figures of 3-7 from three overs, while Tom Smith and Josh Shaw weighed in with 3-33 and 2-7 respectively as Gloucestershire won inside the distance.

Still occupying fifth place in the South Group, Gloucestershire remain in with a chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals after Essex lost their penultimate match to Surrey. Gloucestershire must now win their final game against Middlesex at Chelmsford on Wednesday and hope Essex lose to Hampshire at Southampton.

Glamorgan captain Kiran Carlson' decision to field was justified when Timm van der Gugten opened up with a wicket maiden from the Chapel end, Miles Hammond driving the fourth delivery straight to mid-on. But Bracey wasted no time in changing the mood, twice pulling van der Gugten to the mid-wicket boundary and then helping himself to a trio of fours in a Dan Douthwaite over that yielded 13 runs, while Bancroft ramped Jamie McIlroy for four to afford the innings crucial early momentum.

Bancroft then took McIlroy for 23 runs in one over, including six off a no-ball, as Gloucestershire advanced their score to a useful 61-1 at the end of the powerplay. When Bracey hoisted van der Gugten high over cow corner for an imposing six, it took him to 1,000 runs in T20 cricket. 

Andy Gorvin afforded the visitors much-needed relief, having Bracey held at long-on in the seventh for a 20-ball 31, and then removing Bancroft for a a 25-ball 44, the Australian held in the deep as Gloucestershire reached halfway on 92-3.

Jack Taylor hit the ground running, raising two boundaries in one Mason Crane over and then smashing Gorvin for six over mid-wicket to put the home side back in credit. Having played himself in, Webster provided acceleration at the other end, accruing 3 fours in one van der Gugten over to exert additional pressure. Taylor then hit Crane down the ground for six to bring up the 50 partnership in 31 balls as the fourth wicket pair raised the tempo.

Douthwaite had Webster caught at the wicket for a 36-ball 33, Marnus Labuschagne accounted for Ben Charlesworth and Ollie Price fell to Gorvin, who finished with 3-26 from four overs. But Taylor kept his foot to the floor, raising an exhilarating 24-ball 50 by smiting McIlroy for six over long-off before finishing with a flourish, taking 19 off the final over to further spoil Douthwaite's figures and lift his side to an imposing total.

Gloucestershire further improved their position when Payne dismissed Will Smale and Carlson in the space of three deliveries with the new ball from the College Lawn end. Shaw then had Tom Bevan held at short third man and Matt Taylor took a return catch to send back Labuschagne as Glamorgan slipped to 18-4 in a lacklustre powerplay that yielded just two boundaries.

Worse followed for the Welsh county, slow left armer Tom Smith removing Chris Cooke and Colin Ingram in quick succession and van der Gugten succumbing lbw to Webster as the visitors lurched to 48-7 in the tenth. Douthwaite became the seventh batsman to be out in single figures when he hoisted Shaw to deep mid-wicket, Payne returned to remove Gorvin and Smith wrapped up the innings with 4.1 overs unused.

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