AN UNBEATEN 77 from Tom Banton and a career-best of 47 from Ben Green were not enough to prevent Gloucestershire from chasing down a 195 run target, recording a five-wicket victory with a ball to spare in the Vitality Blast Competition and claim the double over Somerset at Taunton.

After being put into bat Will Smeed hit the first six of the game but next ball but one was caught at cover. Tom Kohler-Cadmore followed suit with a straight six and another huge strike over the Trade Nation Stand off Josh Shaw before the bowler got his revenge two balls later and had him caught for 22.

Somerset batters struggled for several overs and were assisted by some missed catches before 13 were taken off the ninth over, which they followed up with 17 off the next making them 87 for three at the halfway stage.

Banton saw up the 100 with a single off the first ball of the 13th over, but next over Lewis Gregory was out and Somerset found themselves 105 for five.

The in-form Banton went to his 50 with a single off Payne in the 15th over off 33 balls with four fours and two sixes, and with five overs left Somerset had reached 114 for five.

Ben Green came in and blasted a huge six over long on before Banton followed later in the over to take the Cidermen onto 134 by the end of the 17th over.

A Banton single off Payne saw the Somerset 150 up in the 19th over before Green hit the bowler high and wide over square leg for six more, as the total moved to 162 going into the last six balls.

The final over was incident packed and started when Green hit the first delivery that was a no ball for six over mid wicket. The all rounder plundered a further 21 off  the the next four balls before he was caught on the boundary for a career best 47. The sixth wicket pairing added 75 off the last four overs which helped the hosts end their innings on 194 for five, Banton unbeaten on 77.

When the Gloucesters replied skipper Lewis Gregory became Somerset’s leading T20 wicket taker, beating Max Waller’s previous record of 139, when he had Cameron Bancroft caught by Roelof van der Merwe with the total on 22.

The visitors looked untroubled against what seemed a below par attack and by the end of the first power play had moved onto 55 for one. Miles Hammond took his total onto 43 when he hit the ball high into the air and was caught at deep mid off by Tom Abell . 

Next over James Bracey top edged a Gregory delivery and was caught by Josh Davey for 31 making the visitors 86 for three in the 10th. Gloucestershire continued towards their target helped by some indifferent bowling and went into the last five overs of the match needing 48 runs for victory with seven wickets remaining.

Home fans’ spirits were lifted when Jack Taylor was caught by Gregory off Davey for 27 after adding 73 for the fourth wicket with Beau Webster. With 31 still needed off the last 18 balls the captain gave the home fans even more to cheer about when he had Webster acrobatically caught by Banton for 39. 

With 21 needed off 12 balls the game was heading towards a tight finish, but in the event amid rising tension Ben Charlesworth hit the penultimate ball for six to give Gloucestershire victory with a ball to spare and the bragging rights in the local derby for another season.