RESULT
Midlands/Wales/West Division, Bristol, July 26, 2013, Friends Life t20
(16.1/20 ov, T:126) 129/1

Somerset won by 9 wickets (with 23 balls remaining)

Player Of The Match
61 (43)
craig-kieswetter
Report

Kieswetter fires Somerset victory charge

Craig Kieswetter blasted a powerful 61 as Somerset made it three Friends Life t20 wins a row with a nine-wicket destruction of arch-rivals Gloucestershire

26-Jul-2013
Somerset 129 for 1 (Kieswetter 61, Jones 53*) beat Gloucestershire 125 (Thomas 4-35) by nine wickets
Scorecard
Craig Kieswetter blasted a powerful 61 as Somerset made it three Friends Life t20 wins a row with a nine-wicket destruction of arch-rivals Gloucestershire at Bristol.
The home side could post only 125 all out after losing the toss, Hamish Marshall making 33 and Chris Dent 29. Alfonso Thomas claimed four wickets for 35 runs, reward for some accurate yorkers and variations in pace. Such a total was never likely to test Somerset's big-hitting batting line-up. Kieswetter and Chris Jones produced a century opening stand in 13 overs and the outcome was never in doubt as the visitors won with 23 balls to spare.
Kieswetter was in scintillating form, reaching his half-century off just 29 balls, with six fours and a towering six over long-on off Craig Miles, before falling to a skied catch off left-arm spinner Tom Smith.
Jones, who has grasped the opportunity presented by Marcus Trescothick's ankle injury, lost little by comparison. The 22-year-old batsman demonstrated the talent which saw him take a hundred off Australia's attack in the tour match at Taunton this season. He followed Kieswetter to a half-century, completing it with the winning boundary, having faced 47 balls and hit four fours and a six as Somerset closed out the most comprehensive of victories.
Gloucestershire never recovered from losing captain and key player Michael Klinger off the first ball of the third over, bowled by their former player Steve Kirby. The Australian cut loosely to Nick Compton at backward point and departed for 2.
There was still no hint of what was to come when the hosts reached 37 for 1 at the end of the six overs of Powerplay and the total had advanced to 57 when Dent was stumped by Craig Kieswetter to give legspinner Max Waller his first wicket. Gloucestershire still had a measure of control at 72 for 2 but once Marshall was caught behind flashing at Thomas it developed into a procession, with a sequence of sorry shots, as the last eight wickets fell for just 53.
Peter Trego returned figures of 1 for 7 from three overs as the home side lost their way. Waller bowled Alex Gidman with a googly to finish with an impressive 2 for 22 from his four overs. Yasir Arafat and Thomas wove a spell over the Gloucestershire batsmen and boundaries dried up. The entire innings featured only three sixes and nine fours.

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Somerset Innings
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Friends Life t20
Midlands/Wales/West Division
TEAMMWLPTNRR
NHNTS1073140.329
SOM1064120.841
GLAM105510-0.168
WARKS105510-0.410
WORCS10468-0.327
GLOUC10376-0.245
North Division
TEAMMWLPTNRR
NOTTS1073141.009
LANCS1053120.177
DURH106411.750.317
LEICS104590.417
DERBS10468-0.604
YORKS10275-1.223
South Division
TEAMMWLPTNRR
HANTS1081170.810
SURR1073140.915
ESSEX105411-0.040
MIDDX105510-0.194
KENT10376-0.941
SUSS10192-0.520