County crash again

11:15am Thursday 26th June 2008

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GLOUCESTERSHIRE fell to another heavy defeat in the Twenty20 cup last night against local rivals Worcestershire at Bristol.

A good all-round performance by Mark Hardinges was not enough for the Gladiators, who remain bottom of the Midlands / West / Wales Division after they were beaten by 59 runs.

Andrew Harris and Steve Kirby reduced Worcestershire to 10-2 with the wickets of Vikram Solanki and Graeme Hick respectively, before Stephen Moore (41) and Ben Smith (32) put on 75 together.

Hardinges (4-30) then halted Worcestershire's charge with three quick wickets, and when he got his fourth the Royals were struggling slightly on 122-7.

However, Gareth Batty lifted them to 152-8 with 29 not out.

Gloucestershire's reply never got going after opener Jackson Thompson was run out for his third successive duck, and when Hamish Marshall (11), Will Porterfield (9), Marcus North (1), they were 27-4.

Chris Taylor (20) and Hardinges (27) gave Gloucestershire a brief reprieve but when the former became Daryl Mitchell's (4-11) first victim they were left with a mountainous task at 51-5.

Ian Fisher (14) and Hardinges put on 31 for the seventh wicket but the Gladiators lost their last four wickets for just three runs to end on a dour 93 all out.

Gloucestershire will attempt to get off the bottom of their division when they face Somerset at Bristol tomorrow.