RESULT
South Group, Canterbury, June 16, 2024, Vitality Blast
125
(11.4/20 ov, T:126) 127/1

Gloucester won by 9 wickets (with 50 balls remaining)

Report

Hammond blitz confirms Kent hammering at hands of Gloucestershire

Hosts tumble as Matt Taylor takes three, James Bracey effects three run-outs

Miles Hammond goes through the off side, Somerset vs Gloucestershire, T20 Blast, South Group, Taunton, June 23, 2023

Miles Hammond smashed 80 from 41 to fire Gloucestershire in a small chase  •  Harry Trump/Getty Images

Gloucestershire 127 for 1 (Hammond 80) beat Kent 125 (Billings 36, M Taylor 3-30) by nine wickets
Miles Hammond hit a blistering 80 as Gloucestershire thrashed the Kent Spitfires by nine wickets in the Vitality Blast at Canterbury.
Hammond hit five sixes and eight fours in a 41-ball innings, while his opening partner Cameron Bancroft made an unbeaten 39 as the visitors coasted home with 8.2 overs to spare, finishing on 127 for 1.
Hammond and Bancroft cashed in after the visitors produced a stifling display in the field to skittle Kent for just 125: Matt Taylor took 3 for 30 and keeper James Bracey ran out three batters. Sam Billings was the top scorer with 36 and Daniel Bell-Drummond the next highest with just 19.
Buoyed after snatching a dramatic tie at Surrey on Friday night, Gloucestershire vindicated their decision to bowl by ripping through Kent's top order. For the fourth consecutive innings Zak Crawley failed to reach double-figures, chipping David Payne to Hammond for 7.
Josh Shaw then got Joe Denly for 13 when he misjudged a ramp shot and was caught by Marchant de Lange at short fine leg.
Graeme van Buuren bowled Marcus O'Riordan for 12 and a slower ball from de Lange accounted for Bell-Drummond, who pulled him to Bancroft.
Billings and Tawanda Muyeye managed a partial rebuild until the latter was run out for 10 by Bracey, aiming at one stump after an abortive appeal for a catch.
Kent's hopes of a competitive total plunged when Taylor struck twice in three balls at the start of the 15th. Billings skied his first delivery to Payne and Grant Stewart then went for a second-ball duck when he chipped Taylor straight to Hammond at midwicket.
The same combination removed Joey Evison for 10, caught at deep midwicket, and a shambolic innings concluded with run-outs off successive balls in the final over. Nathan Gilchrist charged down the wicket after the fourth ball while Xavier Bartlett stood motionless at the other end and Matt Parkinson tried to scramble a single off the fifth only to meet an identical fate.
Spitfires needed early wickets to stand any chance of defending such a low total and although Bartlett was unlucky not to find the edge, there was never any serious pressure. The fourth over went for 22 and Hammond smeared Bartlett for a six over cow corner to pass 50.
He finally fell when Gilchrist had him caught on the boundary by Stewart, leaving Bancroft to complete the win in style when he smeared O'Riordan for six.

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Gloucester Innings
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Vitality Blast

North Group
TeamMWLPTNRR
BEARS14104201.308
NOR148418-0.151
LAN1474171.109
DUR147615-0.325
LEI146614-0.119
DER1467130.112
YOR146713-0.035
WOR144108-0.192
NOT14398-1.699
South Group
TeamMWLPTNRR
SUR1493200.777
SUS1495180.607
SOM1485170.497
GLO1476150.503
ESS1476150.201
GLA146713-0.592
HAM144711-0.556
MID14389-1.487
KEN144108-0.486