a checked drive and Surrey are home! Their ninth win in a row, and they have cantered to victory. Overton's first ball is his last ball, clean back past the bowler. This one is done!
Gloucester vs Surrey, 1st Semi Final at Birmingham, T20 Blast, Oct 03 2020 - Ball by Ball Commentary
Surrey won by 6 wickets (with 8 balls remaining)
4.56pm Right. Enough of this one. Time for that one... it's Lancashire v Nottinghamshire in the second semi-final! See you on the other side!
The Player of the Match is Liam Plunkett: "On that wicket it was doing a bit, tennis-ball bounce which suits me, a few caught on the boundary. It's a bit swamp-like on the edge of the boundary, we'll watch the next semi and see how the wicket changes. I feel good and I've been lucky enough to enjoy the T10 recently, so it suits me."
Jack Taylor: "We weren't quite good enough, with 90-odd it would have been a decent score. They bowled well, we had a 12-over game here a few weeks ago, but a completely different deck."
"The guys have all chipped in, it's been a team effort, but we weren't quite good enough today."
Gareth Batty: "The first part of the mission is done, the boys to a man were ruthless today, we have to continue that form. You have all that time lounging around, and the mind is racing, but we were very calm and clear, and the boys did brilliantly. Bowling first wasn't rocket-science, a nice toss to win. And Liam Plunkett, World Cup winner, need we say more? A great man to have around. We'll see how many overs it is for the final, but that tackiness may go away with the wind, the pitch is getting better, and under lights it might skid on."
4.47pm So, after all the waiting, you wonder if Gloucestershire would rather have waited some more. They never really recovered from a frenetic batting display. Reece Topley and Will Jacks never let them get away, before Liam Plunkett picked up three big wickets in the middle overs - where have we heard that before? A target of 74 never looked like being enough, as Surrey stroll home with eight balls to spare.
edged and gone! Foakes opens the face, tries to run the winning four through third man, but he mis-picked the cutter, and that's Payne's third of the innings... it's probably too late, but it's been a valiant effort
stops on a full length, patted into cover, another single to leave Surrey a boundary away
walks across the stumps, and if he misses, this is toast... but he doesn't, he nails his very late paddle-sweep through fine leg... Surrey have one foot in the final!
It's all Surrey now, as David Payne returns with wickets a pre-requisite
crunched to cover, and the shy hits the non-striker's stumps! Surrey run for the overthrows, but we're looking at this... but no, he's made his ground. A gamble, and it doesn't pay off from Gloucestershire
hoicked off the hip, this time he doesn't middle it, but it's another single to the leg side
pounded through midwicket! That is emphatic, fetched from outside off, and clouted in front of square with immense power!
Amrasnes: "If this match goes down to the wire as well, we need to call in the bomb squad, because 2020's cricketing summer has been too explosive already!"
through to the keeper, as Burns can't connect with this one
slower ball, very full length, tailing towards off stump, and dabbed with watchful intent to third man
back of a length, and timed supremely with a swishing pull, but straight to the midwicket sweeper
Otaj Ihba: "Ben Foakes taking his ambitions of getting into the England Test team to another level!"
tapped out to cover, that boundary has just undone Gloucestershire's good work...
a push through the full length, and that's nailed! Super strike, right to the pitch, nice and early, and lofted over long-off!
round the wicket, and Burns so nearly holes out! Leaning back on the drive, spliced over short extra, but the fielder can't back-pedal in time!
over the wicket, back of a length, chopped hard to extra cover, just the single
cunning delivery, a slow seamer, gripping on a good length as Burns struggles to connect on a kneeling slog-sweep
lots of bottom hand, dragging a pull into the leg side
Is this going to the wire? One big over either way could break it open... but it's cagey at the moment
rocking back for a thump to deep backward point. Timed well, but couldn't quite fillet the gap
flicked to deep midwicket, hits the gap with good timing, and they hustle back for two
head over the ball for a compact drive, but straight to short cover... the rate is climbing ...
an ambitious sweep, foot planted outside the line, as the ball deflects to point
chipped back over the bowler! Never close to a return catch, but a false stroke all the same, as Foakes is through his clip too soon and gets a leading edge
on the back foot, chopped out to point, and it's another priceless dot