Gloucestershire take thriller

Craig Spearman hit eight fours and two sixes for Gloucestershire Gladiators

Superb innings from Craig Spearman and Mark Hardinges inspired South/West Division leaders Gloucestershire Gladiators to a thrilling five-wicket victory over Hampshire Hawks in the Friends Provident Trophy at Bristol.

In a match reduced to 20 overs per side by rain, Michael Lumb's brilliant 76 from 51 balls, with 10 fours and two sixes, was the highlight of Hampshire's 144 for six.

Gloucestershire slumped to 27 for four in reply, but Spearman and Hardinges defied the gloomy light to clinch victory with two balls remaining.

Shane Bond conceded just 11 runs in four overs for Hampshire, and his three wickets included the dismissal of Spearman, caught for 71 on the mid-wicket boundary in the 17th over.

Spearman's 44-ball innings included eight fours and two sixes, and his partnership of 79 in 11 overs with Hardinges had brought Gloucestershire back into contention after two wickets from Bond had induced the top-order collapse.

Gloucestershire still required 39 from 23 balls when Spearman was dismissed, but Hardinges and Steve Adshead swung the match the home side's way by taking 28 off successive overs from Chris Tremlett and Dimitri Mascarenhas.

Five runs were required off the last over, and a single by Adshead to mid-wicket secured the win. Hardinges finished on 49, having struck four fours and a straight six in his 44-ball innings.

Persistent rain in the morning had delayed the start until 4.45pm, and Jon Lewis' decision to field first was probably influenced by the fact Gloucestershire's previous three wins in the competition had come by batting second.

Lumb and Michael Carberry were restricted to 16 runs from the first four overs by Lewis and Anthony Ireland, but Lumb upped the tempo in the next over by striking four boundaries off Hardinges.

Carberry was dismissed in the 10th over when he played a delivery from Alex Gidman onto his leg stump, but Sean Ervine ensured Hampshire's good progress was maintained by helping Lumb at 55 in six overs.

However, just as Hampshire looked set for an all-out assault, Gloucestershire claimed four wickets between the 16th and 18th overs.

Ervine holed out to Chris Taylor at long-on off left-arm spinner Ian Fisher, and Mascarenhas swiped a ball from Ireland to Hamish Marshall at mid-off.

Lewis had Lumb caught off a lead-in edge by Spearman at mid-off, and the Gloucestershire skipper struck again when he yorked Michael Brown for a second-ball duck.

Lewis claimed his third wicket with the final delivery of the innings when Chris Benham was bowled by another yorker.