Gloucestershire Gladiators v Somerset
Friends Provident t20 South Division
At Bristol
By Richard Latham
Gloucestershire's batting collapsed in all too familiar fashion to hand Somerset a six-wicket win at the County Ground.
From a promising 132-3 in the 16th over the Gladiators could manage only a further 20 runs for the loss of six wickets and closed on 152-9.
On a good batting pitch such a total was never likely to seriously test the visitors' strong batting line up and, despite the early loss of Marcus Trescothick, bowled by a jubilant Steve Kirby, they skated to victory with 3.1 overs to spare.
The result assured Somerset of a home quarter-final, but it could have been different if Gloucestershire had capitalised on a promising start having been put in to bat.
Aaron Redmond fell early to Ben Phillips, but Alex Gidman (31) and James Franklin (20) took the score to 55 in the six overs of power play before Gidman was lbw to Trego.
The all-rounder also removed Franklin, caught behind at the second attempt by Craig Kieswetter standing up to the stumps.
But from 71-3 the Gladiators were given good momentum by Hamish Marshall (45) and Chris Dent (30), who added 61 in eight overs.
A turning point came when Dent was caught at wide long-on off Kieron Pollard, having faced 27 balls. The West Indian then had Marshall taken by Kieswetter on the drive in the same over.
Marshall had hit 3 fours and a six in his 31-ball innings, but it was a serious error getting out so soon after Dent and Somerset grabbed the initiative.
Gloucestershire continued to lose wickets steadily to Pollard (3-36) and Alfonso Thomas (2-21), who bowled well at the death.
It still seemed as though a packed crowd would witness a contest as Kirby yorked Trescothick as he moved down the pitch with only two runs on the board.
Kirby could not contain his delight. But Peter Trego took over the role of the former England opener, blasting 46 off 17 balls and Kieswetter (20) helped take the score to 53 before top-edging a catch off Anthony Ireland.
Trego was in tremendous form, square cutting with panache for many of his 8 fours and lifting Jon Lewis and James Franklin over the leg side boundary for sixes.
After he fell to Franklin attempting another big hit to reach fifty, Zander de Bruyn (37) and James Hildreth (18 not out) ensured there was no way back for the Gladiators.
By the time Lewis sent back de Bruyn only 33 runs were needed and Pollard finished the job with successive sixes off Ireland and one off Kirby before finishing 30 not out off just 12 balls.
