Du Plooy, Williamson provide base for Middlesex win over Gloucestershire

Half-centuries for Kane Williamson and skipper Leus du Plooy helped Middlesex to a 23-run win over Gloucestershire at Merchant Taylors' School - only their fifth ever victory over the west country men in the Vitality Blast.

Williamson's 50 came in 28 balls with two sixes and six fours while du Plooy produced two maximums of his own, the pair sharing a stand of 92 as the hosts totaled 189 for 5.

Australian left-hander D'Arcy Short hit 64 in 46 in reply, supported by Jack Taylor's 41, but two wickets for debutant Sebastian Morgan and Noah Cornwell's 1 for 20 meant they finished on 166-7.

Two bowlers on the night, Marchant de Lange and Luke Hollman, found themselves on hat-tricks but neither managed to complete the feat.

The hosts found early impetus as Stephen Eskinazi and Ben Geddes cleared the ropes in the powerplay, but both departed in quick succession. Du Plooy picked up the mantle, but Williamson was strangely subdued until badly dropped on 13 at deep mid-off by Graeme van Buuren, Oliver Price the unlucky bowler.

The reprieve released the shackles with the former New Zealand skipper scoring 39 from his next 15 deliveries, van Buuren left to rue his spill as Williamson struck him for a glorious straight six. He departed immediately afterwards caught at short fine from the spin of Short, to end the stand of 92.

Du Plooy would also make it to 50 from 35 balls, but was one of two wickets in successive balls in a fabulously hostile spell from de Lange and it needed some long handle from Ryan Higgins to get the Seaxes to 189.

Morgan made a dream start ball in hand with the wicket of Miles Hammond in his opening over courtesy of a wonderful over the shoulder catch by du Plooy.

Short initially struggled for rhythm but a sumptuous straight six off Higgins got the reply up and running and an uppercut over the wicketkeeper raised the 50 from the last ball of the powerplay. The 50-partnership came in 29 balls, but Cameron Bancroft spooned a catch to Williamson at deep square off Hollman and the legspinner became the second bowler in the match to take two in two when Tom Helm held another good catch at short fine to dismiss Price first ball.

Short though remained and lofted Hollman for six in his next over to emphasise the point and Taylor caught the mood with successive fours from the otherwise frugal Cornwell. Short's seventh four took him to 50 and with Taylor clearing the ropes the 50 partnership rattled up in 31 balls.

Even so, a tight over from Higgins meant 52 were needed from the last four overs and that task got tougher when Short gloved one from Cornwell through to wicketkeeper Joe Cracknell. And when Taylor became Morgan's second victim in the next over, the task became too much.