Cricket We’re in a good position to qualify from group - Cockbain
IAN Cockbain’s unbeaten 43 off 22 balls led Gloucestershire to a four-wicket Vitality Blast South Group victory over Somerset with five deliveries to spare at Bristol on Friday.
In a match reduced to 11 overs per side by rain before the start, the visitors ran up 114-8 after losing the toss. Corey Anderson hit 40 off 17 deliveries and there were handy contributions from Lewis Gregory (19), Steve Davies (17) and Johann Myburgh (14).
Andrew Tye claimed 3-24 from three overs, while Tom Smith (2-21) was on a hat-trick at one stage.
In reply, Gloucestershire made 116-6 from 10.1 overs. Cockbain, who hit four fours and two sixes, was well supported by Kieran Noema-Barnett (25) and Jack Taylor (19).
The game did not begin until 8.15pm and hopes of a 12,000 crowd were dashed by the bad weather leading up to the start.
But there was still a large crowd to witness the derby clash, in which the hosts were seeking quick revenge for a six-wicket defeat by their arch-rivals at Taunton a week earlier.
Gloucestershire fielded poorly that night. This time they were aided by a stunning Miles Hammond catch at extra cover to break an opening stand of 27 between Myburgh and Davies.
More good work from Michael Klinger’s men led to Cockbain running out Myburgh with a direct hit at the bowler’s end from backward point and the skipper holding on to a sharp chance at the second attempt to dismiss Roelof van der Merwe.
From 48-4 at the end of the sixth over, Gregory and Anderson lifted the tempo with sixes off Tom Smith, whose previous over had seen James Hildreth and Peter Trego dismissed with successive balls.
Anderson then hit two maximums in the tenth over, sent down by Ryan Higgins, and when Tye, whose first two overs had cost only ten, went for 14 off the last, Somerset had a challenging score.
Gloucestershire’s hopes suffered a blow in the first over of their reply when Klinger, who had already hit a straight six, got an inside edge to Craig Overton and was caught behind.
Fellow opener Hammond fell to Max Waller and after two overs the home side were 15-2. The powerplays were 3.2 overs and NoemaBarnett’s six off Gregory helped the hosts to 32-2, compared to Somerset’s 32-1 at the same stage.
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Somerset got a few more runs than we would have liked, but we knew that if we got going the target was reachable
The powerful Noema-Barnett looked threatening before clothing a Gregory full toss to extra cover. And when he departed Cockbain took charge with sixes off Gregory and Peter Trego, whose over, the seventh of the innings, cost 19.
Higgins was caught at extra cover off a van der Merwe full toss with 34 still needed, but Jack Taylor hit Jamie Overton for a two sixes and a four in the ninth over and Gloucestershire had the necessary momentum to clinch victory.
Gloucestershire man-of-thematch Cockbain said: “We decided to bowl first to get an idea of what a decent score was on that pitch. Somerset got a few more runs than we would have liked, but we knew that if we got going the target was reachable.
“In previous games we have talked about the top four batsmen not going on to meaningful scores. Tonight was my night to put that right and it was no surprise we went on to win.
“Kieran Noema-Barnett was striking the ball beautifully, so I was able to take a back-seat while he was batting. It was good having AJ (Andrew Tye) back in the side and he bowled really well. With three wins out of four, we are in a good position and we know we are capable of beating any side in the competition on our day.”
Somerset head coach Jason Kerr said: “In reduced overs games the margins between success and failure are very small. Corey Anderson’s innings gave us a fighting chance, but I didn’t feel we scored quite enough runs.
“We needed to be at our absolute best to defend 114 and we weren’t. Our practice for T20 has been going really well, but we are not transmitting that into performances at the moment.
“Our bowling is the biggest concern and we need to spend so more time working on our skills. There is an opportunity to reflect before our next game against Middlesex and we need to use that time well.”