Sell out crowd see Glos slip to last over defeat against local rivals
19 June 2015
A boundary from Lewis Gregory in the final over sealed a five wicket win for Somerset in front of a full house at the Bristol County Ground.
Chasing 166 to win, the visitors looked in control for most of their innings before a late stutter almost brought Gloucestershire back into the game.
Going into the final over they still needed five for victory but two wides from James Fuller followed by a single and four through midwicket ensured Gloucestershire’s six game losing streak against their local rival continued.
Johann Myburgh, opening the innings for the first time in place of Marcus Trescothick led the way with 63 off 50 balls including nine fours.
To watch Glos allrounder Jack Taylor's reaction to the result click below.
Earlier Glos won the toss and chose to bat but it was hard work from the off as Somerset’s bowlers kept it tight.
A solitary leg bye was the only run from Jim Allenby’s first over. And it took until midway through the second over – bowled by Sohail Tanvir (1-26) – for the first runs off the bat.
Klinger had already decided against a quick single to James Hildreth at cover when the Somerset fielder threw down the stumps at the non-striker’s end and saw the ball ricochet towards the long-on boundary for three overthrows.
In the next over, having failed to get off the mark in six balls, Handscomb nicked the seventh behind to Bates off Gregory (1-37) to make it 7-1. The umpire didn’t flinch but the Australian walked.
A Klinger six over long on in the same over helped ease any early nerves but it proved to be a rare boundary for the home side.
Somerset rotated their attack throughout the first five overs and it paid off as Glos reached 22-1 on a diet made up almost exclusively of singles.
Alfonso Thomas (2-42) entered the attack in the final over of the power play and provided Glos with some much needed impetus. Klinger and Cockbain traded fours through the covers as the score jumped to 37-1.
The pair brought the 50 up in the eighth over but it was in the ninth that proceedings livened up.
Re-entering the attack, Gregory’s first ball was lifted over the vacant slip area for four by Klinger. Cockbain (34 off 21) then clubbed a flat six over long off before being caught my Max Waller off a mistimed hook a ball later to leave Glos on 65-2.
Klinger wasn’t looking his usual fluent self but a single off Waller in the 12th over took him to 37 and 450 T20 runs for the season.
Sadly for the expectant Glos fans he was only able to add seven more runs to his score before after flicking a full toss from Allenby (1-17)down the throat of Hildreth deep backward square leg.
The skipper’s dismissal made it 99-3 and it was soon 101-4 when his replacement Geraint Jones (1) top edged a sweep from Waller (1-21)straight up in the air to be easily claimed by Bates.
Kieran Noema-Barnett (6) struck a fine four over cover off Rehman (1-18)in the 16th over but he perished next ball to a spectacular one-handed diving catch from Thomas at short mid-wicket to make it 115-5.
Howell (26 off 23) tried to give Glos some late acceleration but was caught at long off by Rehman off Thomas in the 18th over with the score on 124-6.
Jack Taylor (24 off 14) and James Fuller (14 off 6) were both out before the end but their late flurries helped the home side to 165-8.
In reply, an encouraging first over from Fuller saw him beat the bat three times and take the edge but an Allenby cover drive for four made it 5-0.
The Australian-born allrounder struck five more fours before he top edged a pull from Craig Miles to David Payne at short fine leg for 27 off 21 balls in the fifth over to leave his side 44-1.
Johann Myburgh had played second fiddle to Allenby but he now became the aggressor. Two consecutive fours bludgeoned through midwicket off Payne ensured Somerset reached 59-1 at the end of the powerplay, 22 better than Glos at the same stage.
With Myburgh scoring freely all Peter Trego had to do was keep him company. But he fell to Tom Smith in the tenth over, top edging a sweep to Payne for 8 to let Glos back in at 84-2.
Tanvir was promoted up the order and he made 13 before skying onefrom Howell (1-30) to Noema-Barnett at point off the back of his bat for 13 to make it 104-3.
Tight bowling saw just 12 runs off the next three overs but this was broken by the first six of the innings from James Hildreth off Howell over long on.
Myburgh brought up his 50 off 42 balls with single off Howell .
But he fell shortly afterwards to a brilliant diving catch by Handscomb at wide long off trhe bowling of Smith (2-23).
This made it 143-4 in the eighteenth over and left the game still in the balance.
Two consecutive sixes by Tom Cooper in the penultimate over from Payne all but ended Glos hopes of pulling off a victory in front of an increasingly raucous full house.
When was caught by Miles at fine leg for 14 off the final ball of the 19th it gave Glos a tiny glimmer of hope.
But it wasn’t to be as they made it home with two balls to spare.
Latest news
