T20 Blast quarter-final: Worcestershire beat Gloucestershire to reach Finals Day
- Published
D'Oliveira's four wickets help Worcestershire to first Finals Day
Vitality Blast quarter-final, Blackfinch New Road: |
Gloucestershire 136-8 (20/20 overs): Hammond 45, Cockbain 35; D'Oliveira 4-26 |
Worcestershire 137-5 (18.4/20 overs): Ferguson 64*; Howell 2-22 |
Worcestershire beat Gloucestershire by five wickets |
Worcestershire reached T20 Blast Finals Day for the first time after beating Gloucestershire by five wickets.
Callum Ferguson's unbeaten 64 from 47 balls helped them chase down their target of 137 with eight deliveries left, after England all-rounder Moeen Ali had earlier departed for one.
Pears spinner Brett D'Oliveira starred with the ball, taking 4-26 to limit the visitors to 136-8 at New Road.
Worcestershire will join Lancashire and Sussex at Edgbaston on 15 September.
D'Oliveira's figures were the best of his career in this format, though there was a touch of fortune about two of the dismissals, with Ryan Higgins drilling one short delivery straight to Ed Barnard, before Jack Taylor was bowled by an even shorter ball soon after.
The leg-spinner was ably supported by the Pears' other spin bowlers, Daryl Mitchell taking the crucial wicket of Miles Hammond (45) after Gloucestershire had put on 65 for the first wicket.
The hosts made hard work of the chase as wickets fell around Ferguson, whose composed innings kept his side in reach of the target, but the result was inevitable after David Payne allowed 22 runs in the 16th over, including successive sixes to Ross Whiteley (20).
Ed Barnard struck the winning run to earn Worcestershire the penultimate place at Finals Day, with Somerset hosting Nottinghamshire at Taunton for the last semi-final spot on Sunday.
Worcestershire captain Moeen Ali told BBC Hereford & Worcester:
"I'm very proud. It is a first time for the club to get to Finals Day and it is a great feeling for the boys.
"It is really great for the players, particularly after Gloucestershire got off to such a fantastic start.
Gloucestershire captain Michael Klinger:
"We didn't bat well enough. No one took responsibility like Callum Ferguson did for Worcestershire. We had guys getting 20 and 30 and not going on, including myself. We didn't get a big enough total.
"It was one of those days. We kept getting out and couldn't get that momentum. Obviously we got a good start but when you make a good start, you have to make it count.
"It was a good learning experience but disappointing. We came here expecting to win and expecting to be at Finals Day."