Surrey roll in to final with thumping win over Gloucestershire

Surrey roll in to final with thumping win over Gloucestershire

Liam Plunkett’s 3-10 and Gloucestershire’s very poor batting made this as one-sided a contest as you’ll see in an 11-over match.

Top scorer of the QF Hashim Amla missed out (as rain-reduced the 3.15pm start to only 11 overs) in one Surrey change; Jordan Clark in for his attacking batting and fielding. Glouc unchanged from their QF 20 over game.

Surrey had a slight advantage in that earlier in this odd summer they beat Hampshire by nine wickets in a nine-over game, but then again Gloucestershire did whack the Bears to all parts of this ground in a 12 over game.

Gareth Batty won the toss, Glos to bat, and sadly the day never got any better for the westcountry-side from the coin toss until they were back down the M5 in Bristol.  

Of course, after all the waiting, Reece Topley had to start with a wide. Only one delivery in the first eight saw bat on ball, 3-0 (two wides).

It was as unconvincing a start as you could ask to see; play and miss after miscue off Will Jacks too. Poor Miles Hammond managed to waste 11 balls for one before Topley generously put him out of his misery, Ben Foakes catching a top edge comfortably.

Ian Cockbain came and went for 0 off Will Jacks, caught mid-wicket and after three overs that was pretty much game gone for the Glosters, opener and most in-form bat gone for one, 12-2.

Chris Dent fell for 17 and then they did not run two to the man in the deep on the long side, really poor cricket from Glos. 26-3 after 5.

England World-Cup winner Plunkett was not required until the seventh over and Jamie Overton and Clark not at all, such a good job had Surrey’s spinners done. Plunkett got Jack Taylor with his first ball and two more in his second over to finish with 3-10 off two overs.

Instead of using their feet to the slow bowlers, Glouc’ batsmen simply stood there and missed and miscued every type of sweep shot possible.

Surrey did the complete opposite, Will Jacks cutting two fours off Graeme van Buuren’s opening over making it 13-0 after one, more than Glos’ had after three.

Jason Roy was superbly caught by Benny Howell for six off David Payne, who later bowled Jacks with a low full-toss for 16, but Surrey have far too much depth for this to worry them.

Laurie Evans reached 12 before Howell had him easily caught at point, but that only meant current test cricketer Rory Burns joined former (and probably still should be) test ‘keeper Foakes.

Payne picked up his third (3-18) to have Foakes caught behind for 20 with just four runs to win. In truth this only stopped Jamie Overton getting the ‘TFC’ Jordan Clark received, Overton won the game in style, straight driving for four his first and only ball.

Surrey’s win was never in doubt, Glouc’s impressive T20-campaign ended emphatically.

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