Match Reports

Gloucestershire v Essex

Gloucestershire's chances of a place in the last eight of the Nat West T20 Blast receded at the Brightside Ground as Essex successfully chased 122 to win a low scoring game in the South Group.

As at Hove on Friday, the only meaningful stand was for the third wicket - on this occasion between Cameron Bancroft, who made 23, and Ian Cockbain, who top scored with 32. Jamie Porter took 4-20 and Mohammad Amir and Paul Walter each took two wickets as Gloucestershire struggled to 121-8 in their 20 overs.

Essex briefly looked like coasting to victory as Varun Chopra made a brisk 44, but his departure saw the game revert to type and three wickets for Tom Smith and a miserly spell from Benny Howell threatened a tight finish before Paul Walter's 18 not out saw the visitors home in the 17th over.

 

Captain Michael Klinger reflects on the 3 wicket defeat to @EssexCricket in @NatWestT20Blast pic.twitter.com/vYr0hNwbh8

— Gloucestershire CCC (@Gloscricket) 13 August 2017

Gloucestershire again named an unchanged side, and on a pitch that looked bowler friendly Essex captain Ryan Ten Doeschate instantly decided to field first when he won the toss.

Skipper Michael Klinger had been the only batsman to make a score above 60 for Gloucestershire in the tournament, and his confident clip over mid wicket for six in the second over, bowled by Jamie Porter, suggested the Australian was in the mood to continue a series of high scores against the Eagles. However Porter soon had his revenge on a day when he recorded his best figures in the competition, as Klinger found the giant figure of Paul Walter on the boundary at deep square leg.

Gloucestershire had lost both openers with only 18 runs on the board when Mohammad Amir's extra pace knocked out Phil Mustard's off stump, and for the second successive match Cameron Bancroft was left with some early damage to repair.

With the exception of one expensive over from Zaidi, in which both Bancroft and Ian Cockbain cleared the rope, Essex kept a tight reign on the scoring rate and the innings was nearly half way through when, at 67-2, Bancroft got a faint bottom edge and was bowled by Walter for 23.

It was then that Porter put a significant brake on any thoughts of a big score by taking three quick wickets. Cockbain (32) found the secure hands of Walter at deep mid wicket, Jack Taylor dragged a ball onto his stumps and in his last over Porter juggled and eventually clung onto a return catch offered by Kieran Noema-Barnett.

Nearly seven overs still remained in the Gloucestershire innings - a long time to bat with only four wickets remaining - and so Essex were able to happily concede singles without the threat of a torrent of runs, especially after Howell was lbw to Amir for 20. Walter even bowled a maiden in the 18th over, and 121-8 looked well short of a par score.

Early wickets were essential if Gloucestershire were to win, and Matt Taylor gave them a start when Adam Wheater mistimed a drive to mid off in the second over, and Tom Smith took the catch. Varun Chopra, however, was in a hurry to push the points Essex's way and after a six to mid wicket off David Payne, he took 24 runs from one Matt Taylor over with three boundaries and two further sixes to the short off side boundary.

Chopra had made 44 out of a total of 58-2 when he was bowled by Chris Liddle, but arguably the damage was already done. Benny Howell had trapped Daniel Lawrence for 11, and while his four overs cost only eight runs it was wickets Gloucestershire needed.

Fleetingly Tom Smith offered hope, taking two in the tenth over as Bopara's reverse sweep went straight to Matt Taylor at short third man, and ten Doeschate edged to 'keeper Mustard.  Foster's departure - caught and bowled by Smith - left Essex at 91-6, but time was well on their side.

A well judged catch by Ian Cockbain in Jack Taylor's first over accounted for left hander Ashar Zaidi and left Essex's lower order to secure the win they needed to remain in contention for the quarter finals, Paul Walter and Simon Harmer's unbroken stand of 26 - the second highest of the innings - pushing the Eagles up to third place in the South Group with more than three overs to spare. Gloucestershire drop to seventh, and are now likely to need victories in both their remaining matches to progress into the knockout stages.