CIDER DERBY WIN TAKES GLOS TO SOUTH GROUP SUMMIT
1 July 2016
Gloucestershire moved to the top of the South Group and secured the Cider Derby double over local rivals Somerset with an emphatic seven wicket victory at Taunton.
Captain Michael Klinger made a magnificent 101 off 71 balls to help his side chase down the 168 needed for the win with four balls to spare.
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Earlier Matt Taylor recorded his career-best figures for the second match in a row, taking 3-16 to limit the hosts to 167-7.
The result means Glos now have 13 points from nine matches and move two points ahead of Glamorgan who didn’t play tonight. Another two wins from their remaining five matches would all but guarantee qualification for the quarter finals.
The win, Gloucestershire’s fourth in as many games, looked assured as soon as Klinger got going.
Having started in watchful fashion the Australian began to move through the gears in the fourth over, trading boundaries with Hamish Marshall as the pair took 15 off Craig Overton and moved to 31-0.
Marshall (9) had his leg stump uprooted by a lethal yorker from Jamie Overton in the fifth over but the home side were unable to build on this momentum.
With Ian Cockbain content to play second fiddle, Klinger took the game to Somerset in calculated fashion, carefully choosing which bowlers to target and who to respect.
Lewis Gregory (0-36) and Max Waller (0-35) both suffered as Klinger matched clean strikes down the ground with busy running between the wickets.
He brought his half century up in the 10th over off 38 balls with a six off Waller as Glos reached 80-1 at the halfway stage.
Cockbain was given a life by Waller when he was dropped off Craig Overton at mid off when on 14. And he made Somerset pay, with 41 off 31 balls.
With the score on 131-1 after 16, the right hander gave the visitors some timely acceleration with a six and two fours off the first three balls of Jamie Overton’s over. He was caught by C Overton in the same over to end a stand of 107 with Klinger leaving his side needing 27 to win off the last 18 balls.
In driving rain Klinger brought up his 100 in the 18th and despite being caught by Peter Trego off J Overton in the penultimate over he had done enough to ensure the remaining runs were just a formality.
Earlier Matt Taylor topped his career-best 3-29 he had taken in the last match against Sussex with 3-16.
Having gone for 0 and 1 in the opening overs of his last two T20 matches he worked his magic again bowling five dots before going for four off the final ball of the first over.
The left armer was rewarded for his discipline in his next over as Allenby (1) top-edged a pull straight to Hamish Marshall at deep backward square to make it 13-1.
Johann Myburgh – who had already flashed three fours through the off side - struck the first maximum of the match off the first ball of the fourth over off Norwell. Four byes and a boundary over point took the hosts to 31-0 after 4 with Myburgh racing to 24.
Benny Howell (1-23) entered the attack in the sixth over and made the break through almost immediately as the dangerous Myburgh (25) skied a straight forward catch to Michael Klinger at mid-on to make it 40-2.
Peter Trego struck back for Somerset in the next over with three fours off Norwell and went on to add 45 with Mahela Jayawardene before holing out to Howell at long off, off the bowling of Tom Smith (2-28).
Captain Michael Klinger dropped Jayawardene – then on 26 – off Smith with the score on 102. And Glos were unlucky not to strike in the next over when Howell failed to bowl the Sri Lankan by the finest of margins and saw two miscues drop just short of fielders.
The visitors finally picked up the fourth wicket in the 16th over as Gareth Roderick stumped Lewis Gregory (16) at the second attempt off Smith to make it 115-4.
Michael Leask looked in ominous form, reaching 12 off five balls before being caught by Ian Cockbain on the cow corner boundary off the first ball of Taylor’s second spell.
The same combination did for Jayawardene five balls later, the Sri Lankan going for a somewhat subdued 41 off 34 balls.
With the score on 141-6 and 12 balls remaining Glos looked in control.
But three sixes off Andrew Tye the 19th over - one for Roelof van der Merwe and two for Jamie Overton ensured the hosts would post a competitive total.
J Overton was run out for 14 off the last ball of the 19th before an excellent final over from Matt Taylor limited Somerset to 167-7.
Glos seven wicket win was the third in a row in T20s against Somerset and their second in succession at Taunton following the eight wicket victory last year.
