THE NatWest T20 Blast match between Somerset and Gloucestershire at Taunton on Friday night was abandoned before the scheduled start time of 5.30pm.

Persistent heavy rain throughout the afternoon left puddles on the outfield and flooded pathways around the stands.

Umpires Martin Saggers and Ben Debenham held a 5pm inspection and soon afterwards the inevitable decision was announced to call the game off.

Both teams took a point, which left Gloucestershire on seven from five fixtures and the only unbeaten side in the South Group. Somerset have four points from the same number of games.

Somerset’s next group match is against Middlesex at Taunton on Sunday, while Gloucestershire take on Glamorgan at Bristol next Tuesday.