David Payne All Round Performance help Gloucestershire to seal low-scorer

David Payne deployed all his considerable experience to propel Gloucestershire to a dramatic two-wicket victory over Hampshire Hawks in a low-scoring but memorable Vitality Blast contest at the Seat Unique Stadium. Chasing a modest 125 to win and buoyed by D'Arcy Short's 41-ball 49, Gloucestershire were cruising at 112 for 4 in the 16th, only to then lose four wickets for the addition of 11 runs to set-up a nerve-jangling finale. With the scores level, Payne maintained his composure to lift Chris Wood's final ball over long-on for an incredible match-winning six. The veteran left arm seamer had earlier claimed 3 for 20 from four overs to undermine Hampshire's top-order and help restrict the visitors to 124 for 9 after they had been inserted on a characteristically slow Bristol pitch. Miles Hammond made a remarkable five catches and Josh Shaw and Ben Charlesworth each contributed two wickets as Gloucestershire won their second game in a row to maintain their outside chance of reaching the quarterfinals. Without a win in their last five games, Hampshire missed an opportunity to move above Glamorgan and back into top-four contention. Hampshire skipper James Vince was dropped by Graeme van Buuren at extra cover off the bowling of Payne before he even got off the mark in an effort to match his half-century against Somerset 24 hours earlier. But there was no such escape for fellow opener Lhuan-dre Pretorius who was held on the deep square leg boundary by Short later in the same over as Gloucestershire effected an early breakthrough. Payne struck another telling blow in his next over, persuading Vince to sky a catch to Miles Hammond at mid-off and depart for 7 with the score 9 for 2. Toby Albert poached a trio of boundaries at the expense of Matt Taylor and Shaw to afford the innings much-needed impetus, but he was bowled by Payne for 16 off the final ball of a powerplay that yielded an underwhelming return of 29 for 3. If Hampshire were reliant upon overseas star Dewald Brevis, they were disappointed. After taking slow left-armer Tom Smith for a six and a four in the seventh, the South African misjudged his arm once too often, attempting an extravagant pull shot at a short delivery from Charlesworth that only got deep midwicket. He had contributed 13 and the Hawks were 49 for 4 and under the pump. Joe Weatherley sent Charlesworth deep to midwicket for 18, and Eddie Jack made a similar dismissal in the next over, falling to van Buuren's slow left arm without scoring as Hampshire slid to 67 for 6. The middle order did not respond well to pressure. Shaw returned at the Ashley Down Road end to remove James Fuller for 17, superbly caught on the run by Ollie Price at long-on as Gloucestershire continued to turn the screw. Liam Dawson followed Fuller back to the pavilion soon afterwards, brilliant held by Hammond in the deep off the bowling of Matt Taylor, and when Benny Howell hit Shaw high to long-on and fell for 14, the Hawks were 100 for 9 in the eighteenth. A late flurry from the last wicket pair of Wood and Scott Currie, who added an unbeaten 24, was not sufficient to paper over the cracks. To give the response reassuring momentum, Hammond and Short performed a quick opening stand of 30 runs in five overs. Short continued to exert pressure, carting Wood for two sixes, and Hampshire posted 46 for 1 in the powerplay. Jack yorked Hammond for 22, but the home team needed to take early wickets desperately. Although England spinner Dawson snared Cameron Bancroft lbw without scoring, it did little to slow West Country progress, Price joining Short in staging a partnership of 32 for the fourth wicket to bring the required rate down to a run a ball. Price contributed 22 before slapping a short ball from Wood to midwicket and Howell then accounted for Jack Taylor with the score 87 for 4 in the 14th. Short had accrued three fours and three sixes and had his sights set on what would have been a maiden 50 in Gloucestershire colours when he top-edged Fuller to short third. Howell bowled Charlesworth in the penultimate over, and Wood bowled out Matt Taylor and van Buuren in the final over to set up a tense finale. Hampshire made the home team work hard for their runs. Gloucestershire 130 for 8 (Short 49, Howell 2-22) beat Hampshire 124 for 9 (Payne 3-20) by two wickets