Derby Defeat at Bristol
Somerset suffered derby day defeat after D’Arcy Short’s half century helped Gloucestershire beat holders Somerset by seven wickets in the Vitality Blast at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol.
Overseas star Short smashed 63 from 34 balls and hit three sixes and eight fours to help the hosts chase down a victory target of 138 with 5.5 overs to spare and consign Somerset to a third straight defeat in the Central and West Group.
Gloucestershire won the toss and restricted their neighbours to 137for eight, Marchant de Lange, Duan Jansen and Matt Taylor taking two wickets apiece whilst Lewis Gregory top-scored for Somerset, raising 33 in 28 balls.
Their batting line-up already depleted by injury, Somerset lost a wicket to the first ball, Matt Taylor knocking back Tom Banton’s off stump. When Jordan Hermann fell lbw to fellow South African Jansen, who sent down a wicket maiden, the visitors were 14 for two. Josh Thomas launched a counter-attack, smiting 21 off 12 balls before top-edging a de Lange delivery to short fine leg and the nagging Jansen returned to have Tom Abell held at short mid-wicket as Somerset slipped to 33 for four at the end of the powerplay.
Lewis Goldsworthy and Thomas Rew attempted a recovery, but Gloucestershire conceded just six boundaries in restricting their rivals to 55 for four at halfway. Goldsworthy then skied a catch behind off de Lange and departed for 11.
Rew then pulled Matt Taylor to Joe Phillips on the square leg boundary, having raised 27 off 17, and when Jack Taylor removed Daniel Sams without scoring, the holders were 79 for seven in the fourteenth and up against it.
Salvation arrived in the form of a revitalising stand of 49 in 34 balls between Gregory and Craig Overton, these two finding the boundary with sufficient regularity to lift Somerset to a semblance of respectability. Gregory holed out to Phillips at square leg, but Overton remained at large to post 28 not out from 19 deliveries.
Overton then struck a blow with the ball, having Miles Hammond held at extra cover for 12. But the ultra-aggressive Short took full advantage of the fielding restrictions to raise a flurry of boundaries in a powerplay that yielded 61 and put Gloucestershire in control.
The Australian went to 50 from just 22 balls. Having contributed six in a second wicket stand of 56, Phillips skied a delivery from Sams to point with the score 74 for two in the eighth.
Short hit Sams to long-on and departed in the 13th, only for Jack Taylor to make 34 not out from 21 balls to see his side over the line.
