Report & Reaction: Gloucestershire v Hampshire Hawks Men, Vitality Blast

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David Payne deployed all his considerable experience to propel Gloucestershire to a dramatic two-wicket victory over Hampshire Hawks in a low-scoring but memorable Vitality Blast contest at the Seat Unique Stadium.

Chasing a modest 125 to win and buoyed by D'Arcy Short's 41-ball 49, Gloucestershire were cruising at 112-4 in the sixteenth, only to then lose four wickets for the addition of 11 runs to set-up a nerve-jangling finale.

With the scores level, Payne kept his composure to lift the final ball, bowled by Chris Wood, over long-on for an astonishing last-gasp match-winning six.

The veteran left arm seamer had earlier claimed 3-20 from four overs to undermine the Hawks’ top-order and help restrict the visitors to 124-9 after they had been inserted on a characteristically slow Bristol pitch.

Josh Shaw and Ben Charlesworth weighed in with two wickets apiece and Miles Hammond claimed a remarkable five catches as Gloucestershire picked up a second win in as many games to keep alive their outside hopes of making the quarter-finals.

Without a win in their last five games, Hampshire Hawks missed an opportunity to move above Glamorgan and back into the top four.

Looking to follow up his half century made against Somerset 24 hours earlier, Hawks skipper James Vince enjoyed a moment of good fortune before he had even got off the mark, being dropped by Graeme van Buuren at extra cover off the bowling of Payne. But there was no such escape for fellow opener Lhuan-dre Pretorius who was held on the deep square leg boundary by D'Arcy Short later in the same over as Gloucestershire effected an early breakthrough.

Payne struck another telling blow in his next over, persuading Vince to sky a catch to Miles Hammond at mid-off and depart for seven with the score 9-2.

Toby Albert poached a trio of boundaries at the expense of Matt Taylor and Josh Shaw to afford the innings much-needed impetus, but he was bowled by a slower delivery from Payne for 16 off the final ball of a powerplay that yielded an underwhelming return of 29-3.

If Hampshire were reliant upon overseas star Dewald Brevis, they were disappointed. Having taken slow left armer Tom Smith for a six and a four in the seventh, the South African chanced his arm once too often, aiming an extravagant pull shot at a shortish delivery from Charlesworth and succeeding only in finding deep mid-wicket. He had contributed 13 and the Hawks were 49-4 and under the pump.

The middle order did not respond well to pressure, Joe Weatherley hoisting Charlesworth to deep mid-wicket for 18 and Eddie Jack served up a carbon copy dismissal in the next over, falling to van Buuren's slow left arm without scoring as Hampshire lurched to 67-6.

Shaw returned at the Ashley Down Road end to remove James Fuller for 17, superbly caught on the run by Ollie Price at long-on as Gloucestershire continued to turn the screw.

Liam Dawson followed Fuller back to the pavilion soon afterwards, brilliant held by Hammond in the deep off the bowling of Matt Taylor, and when Benny Howell hit Shaw high to long-on and fell for 14, the Hawks were 100-9 in the eighteenth.

A late flurry from the last wicket pair of Chris Wood and Scott Currie, who added an unbeaten 24, was not sufficient to paper over the cracks.

Hammond and D'Arcy Short staged a brisk opening stand of 30 in five overs to afford the reply reassuring momentum.

Hampshire desperately needed to take early wickets and Jack yorked Hammond for 22, but Short continued to apply pressure, carting Wood for two sixes as the home side posted 46-1 in the powerplay.

Although England spinner Liam Dawson snared Cameron Bancroft lbw without scoring, it did little to slow West Country progress, Price joining Short in staging a partnership of 32 for the fourth wicket to bring the required rate down to a run a ball.

Price contributed 22 before slapping a short ball from Wood to mid-wicket and Howell then accounted for Jack Taylor with the score 87-4 in the fourteenth.

Short had accrued 3 fours and 3 sixes and had his sights set on what would have been a maiden 50 in Gloucestershire colours when he top-edged Fuller to short third man.

Hampshire made the home side work hard for their runs and Howell bowled Charlesworth in the penultimate over before Wood removed Matt Taylor and van Buuren in the last to set-up a tense finale.

Shaw scrambled a single off the next ball to bring the scores level and Payne calmed any nerves by smiting the final ball over long-on for six to send the crowd into raptures.