Skipper Taylor relishing chance to ‘take it further’
JACK Taylor believes that his Gloucestershire players have a “really exciting opportunity” to shine at Vitality Blast Finals Day following their hard-earned victory over Warwickshire on Friday night.
The Glo’sters held their nerve in a low-scoring quarter-final, defending a total of 138 all out by restricting the Bears to 124 for nine.
Gloucestershire only just made it into the last eight on net run rate after finishing fourth in the South Group, but will now face Sussex in the last four on Saturday, with Somerset or Surrey set to provide the opposition in the final.
Taylor’s men had looked well under par when they were bowled out for 138 despite racing to 51 without loss from five overs. But leftarm quick David Payne took four for 23 and spinner Ollie Price three for 32 as the Bears fell short in reply.
Skipper Taylor said: “After they let us get away a bit at the start of our innings, their spinners came on and did what they did. They bowled well and though Cam Bancroft played nicely, he didn’t really kick on and we didn’t have anyone play that significant innings.
“But we had to believe at halftime, though we were defending a low score, that in knockout cricket anything is possible. If you get a few wickets early on, who knows?
“My message was that if we can have them two down close to the end of the powerplay, for 30 or 40 runs, their lower order hasn’t batted much this year, the pressure will be on.
“It was a bit of a punt giving David Payne that third over in the powerplay, and he got hit for six and four by Moeen Ali, and just as I was thinking it might have been the wrong decision, he gets him out and that gave us the opening to crack on.
“Our bowlers have set the tone all year and they have executed on the big stage and got some wickets here.
“When the run rate started to come into it, once it was eight and a half to nines, we knew that for every fresh batter coming in on that pitch it was going to be tricky.
“We struggled to get going at the start of the season, but we always felt we had a well-rounded squad and then guys started to put their hands up and make contributions. We had to win our last two games and have other results go our way and that happened. It was good to end the group stage with momentum and we drew on the confidence that gave us, and it is really exciting for the boys now to have an opportunity to take it a step further.”
Bancroft top-scored for the Glo’sters with 43 in 35 balls, while opening partner Miles Hammond made 30 from 24. The Bears’ New Zealand seamer Zak Foulkes took three for 22, Danny Briggs and Dan Mousley picking up two wickets each and George Garton executing two fine run-outs with direct hits.
After reaching 37 for two at the end of the powerplay, the hosts struggled to maintain momentum thereafter. Chris Benjamin (33) and Garton (15) had a partnership of 31 to edge them back into favouritism, but Gloucestershire turned the screw and it all came down to 18 required off the last six balls, with Payne conceding just three and adding the wickets of Benjamin and Jake Lintott.