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."
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