NatWest T20 Blast

Surrey 134-8

Gloucestershire 130-9

GLOUCESTERSHIRE’S outside hopes of making the last eight in the NatWest T20 Blast were ended in a low-scoring thriller at The Kia Oval on Thursday night when hosts Surrey gained a two-wicket victory.

The win was earned with only four balls to spare and sustains Surrey's qualification hopes.

Surrey’s star of the night was teenager Sam Curran who bowled a triple wicket maiden after Gloucestershire won the toss and decided to bat, sending back the visiting top four in the space of nine balls as Gloucestershire posted a modest 130-9.

The 19-year-old left-arm seamer struck in his second over, the fourth of the night, by having Michael Klinger (11) caught at mid-on off a skied pull. Two deliveries later Phil Mustard (9) was sent packing when Curran plucked out his off pole with an in-swinger, then Cameron Bancroft dragged his first delivery on to off-and-middle to make it 20-3.

Benny Howell survived the hat-trick ball but soon lost Ian Cockbain (16) when he mistimed another slow ball bouncer in Curran’s next over high to mid-on.

Curran completed his four overs with T20 career-best figures of 4-13 as Gloucestershire limped into three figures by the 17th over.

Graeme Van Buuren and top-scorer Jack Taylor (28) added some late impetus with 36-run stand.

Craig Miles took 3-25 as Surrey, despite 45 from Moises Henriques, stumbled to 123-8 in the 19th over, with captain Gareth Batty hitting the winning runs.

Gloucestershire's disappointed head coach Richard Dawson blamed poor batting for his side's defeat and elimination.

He said: "To only put 130 on the board on a decent deck and on a fast outfield really wasn't good enough. But to fight and scrap as we did to take it into the last over, well I really can't fault the bowlers. We tried hard, but you can't keep putting 130 on the board and expect to win games of cricket in this format."