Hampshire feel the pinch with Gregory opening up
SOUTH ROUND-UP
LEWIS Gregory insists there is nothing he loves more than opening the batting after smashing a quickfire 43 to inspire SOMERSET to a 14run win over HAMPSHIRE in Taunton on Wednesday.
All-rounder Gregory’s pinch-hitting knock, from 20 balls, was the top score in the home side’s 204-9, with him and fellow opener Steven Davies taking the hosts to 610 off just four overs.
Gareth Berg was the pick of the bowlers with 3-35 but the visiting side never really threatened to chase down the total, Lewis McManus topscoring with 34 from 18 balls.
Roelof van der Merwe, Max Waller and Tim Groenewald took two wickets each to dismiss Hampshire for 190, but it was Gregory who took the man of the match.
“I’m loving opening the batting,” he said. “It’s nice to look around and see the field up in the first six overs, knowing that if you beat the infield it’s four.
“We bowled brilliantly to defend the total and worked very hard in the field – after a tough start we’re now going OK.
“We know we’ve not been where we need to be in this format, but we seem to have turned a corner.”
On Tuesday, GLAMORGAN climbed to the top of the South Group with a classy half-century hit by David Miller on his debut, to hand neighbours GLOUCESTERSHIRE a first defeat of the competition by 25 runs.
Captain Jacques Rudolph chipped in with 51 to take Glamorgan to 176-5 and Michael Klinger’s 52 could only inspire Gloucestershire to 151-7 in reply, leaving Glos head coach Richard Dawson to lament the presence of two of the Welsh county’s South African stars.
“Two good players in Rudolph and Miller played some excellent shots,” he said. “T20 games are lost on small margins and I am not going to dwell too much on our first defeat.
“We were not as clinical as we have been in the competition. Although we did some good things, there were other parts of our game that let us down.”
Elsewhere, Sunday’s fixtures saw SUSSEX tie with KENT by D/L/S, after a thrilling conclusion.
Sam Billings hit 64 as Kent made 176-4 and Sussex responded with 87-3 from eight overs, but Alex Blake notched a direct hit from long on to run out Laurie Evans off the final ball to leave the game tied.
Somerset completed a double over MIDDLESEX as James Hildreth blasted 63 off 34 to give the West Country side a five-wicket victory, while Hampshire v SURREY and Glamorgan v ESSEX were both abandoned.