Jack Taylor fifty secures comeback victory for Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire 142 for 8 (J Taylor 70, van der Gugten 2-8) beat Glamorgan 140 for 6 (Northeast 46*, M Taylor 3-21) by two wickets

Gloucestershire completed a superb win over Glamorgan with Jack Taylor‘s 70 setting up a remarkable comeback from 45 for 5 to secure a two-wicket victory.

Glamorgan looked certain to claim the win before three dropped catches in the last three overs came back to haunt them as Josh Shaw hit the last ball for six to take the visitors past their target.

Runs for Sam Northeast and an excellent spell from Timm van der Gugten had put Glamorgan into a winning position before Taylor’s 70 from 48 balls set up the victory for Gloucestershire.

Gloucestershire looked to be heading for a large defeat before Taylor’s innings allowed them snatch the win from the very last ball.

The Glamorgan innings was characterised more by touch than by power with their top three looking to work the ball around in very bowling friendly conditions. Kiran Carlson tried some early innovation and was dismissed as a result. He attempted to scoop a ball from Shaw over the keeper and was caught at backward point by Matt Taylor.

With the early wickets of Carlson and Labuschagne, Northeast was happy to soak up the pressure that the Gloucestershire seamers applied, and he was going at under a run a run a ball for much of his innings. Northeast finished on 46 not out from 42 balls, the lowest not out score by an opener in a full 20-over innings in the competition’s history.

Colin Ingram looked to be more aggressive and fell when he attempted to on drive down the ground off the bowling of Matt Taylor for 25. When Chris Cooke fell to the next ball Glamorgan were 76 for 4. When Ben Kellaway was caught at deep square leg in the next over off Marchant De Lange that became 81 for 5.

Dan Douthwaite and Northeast put on the biggest stand of the Glamorgan innings but that was broken after the pair had added 37. Northeast added 22 in the final overs with van der Gugten to get Glamorgan to 140 for 6 from their 20 overs.

The Gloucestershire innings got off to a poor start with the new ball once again causing serious difficulties for the batting side. They were 29 for 3 at the end of the powerplay and really struggling to get going.

Van der Gugten bowled four consecutive overs from the Cathedral Road end to finish with figures of 2 for 8 in a spell that included a maiden and just one boundary.

The introduction of the very first over of spin in this match brought immediate rewards for Glamorgan when Marnus Labuschagne took a spectacular one-handed catch while diving full length off the bowling of Mason Crane to dismiss Ben Charlesworth as Gloucestershire stumbled to 53 for 5 after 10 overs.

Jack Taylor batted brilliantly throughout but benefited from some sloppy fielding after he had passed fifty with both Carlson and McIlroy putting him down off the bowling of Crane.

Taylor was run out in the last over to seemingly end Gloucestershire’s hopes but Northeast dropped Shaw off the penultimate ball to give him the chance to win the game with his six off the final delivery.

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