Warwickshire claim crucial victory

Ian Westwood guided Warwickshire to victory with an unbeaten knock of 44

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Warwickshire kept themselves in the qualification race in the Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West group with a four-wicket win over Gloucestershire at Edgbaston.

The Bears badly needed to bounce back from defeat by group leaders Northamptonshire on Monday and they did so by restricting the visitors to 135 for seven and then reaching their target with six balls to spare.

They fight on in the group but for the Gladiators a fifth defeat in six games leaves them virtually out of the running.

After being put in to bat, Gloucestershire suffered an early blow when Hamish Marshall was run out by quick-thinking bowler Chris Woakes who kicked the ball on to the stumps.

Grant Hodnett and Alex Gidman added 39 but took six overs to do it against tight bowling led by Keith Barker, who conceded nine runs from his first two overs and took two wickets in his third.

Gidman spliced a return catch then Hodnett (39 from 36 balls) edged to wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose.

Barker bowled his four overs straight through for an impressive 2-16.

Jeetan Patel was thumped for 16 off his first over but fellow spinner Ant Botha soon struck, having Kadeer Ali caught by Jim Troughton at long off for 20.

Craig Spearman (27 from 19) perished as he tried to hoist Steffan Piolet for a straight six only to also find Troughton.

Patel trapped Richard Dawson lbw sweeping, Jon Lewis skied to long-off and the Gladiators were left with a meagre total to defend.

Opening pair Neil Carter and Jonathan Trott made early inroads with 38 in four overs before Carter (16 off 10) was caught at mid-on by Vikram Banerjee off Gemaal Hussain.

Trott clubbed six fours in 29 but played on to Lewis. Jim Troughton nicked his first ball, from Hussain, to slip and when Ian Bell sliced Dawson to point, the Bears were 59 for four and wobbling.

But Ambrose and Ian Westwood added 33 in six overs and, after Ambrose chipped Dawson to cover, skipper Westwood, supported by Botha and then Barker, steered his side home with an unbeaten 44 off 37 balls.