Hodnett Stars In Gloucs' Win
Gloucestershire turned the tables on Northamptonshire as Grant Hodnett hit 60 off 47 balls to steer the visitors home with one ball to spare.
Gloucestershire turned the tables on Northamptonshire as Grant Hodnett hit 60 off 47 balls to steer the visitors home with one ball to spare.
The Steelbacks had started the day top of the Twenty20 Cup Midlands/Wales/West division while Gloucestershire were bottom but after reaching 84 for two the home side collapsed.
They lost seven wickets for just 30 runs and only two huge sixes from Johan van der Wath in the final over helped them post a total of 133.
Despite also suffering a late collapse prompted by Nicky Boje's bowling figures of three wickets for 23 runs, Hodnett's innings proved the foundation for the visitors to sneak home.
Northamptonshire won the toss and chose to bat but opener Rob White was bowled for a duck by Gemaal Hussain before Ian Harvey and Alex Wakely hit a flurry of boundaries.
Wakely however tried to hit one shot too many and, after scoring 22 off 12 balls, was caught on the boundary by Hodnett off Alex Saxelby.
When Boje was caught for 12, the Steelbacks' innings really collapsed and they were soon on the ropes when top scorer Harvey was caught by Hodnett off the bowling of Hussain for 43.
Hussain also dismissed David Willey for two to finish with fine figures of three for 22.
Northamptonshire were limping to the finish line before van der Wath's two slogs to the leg side, both of which cleared the ground.
Gloucestershire's reply began in the worst possible fashion when William Poterfield was dismissed for a golden duck as he was caught by Harvey off the bowling of van der Wath.
But Hodnett and Craig Spearman's second-wicket stand of 67 seemingly put Gloucestershire on course for a comfortable victory.
Once Spearman (21) and James Franklin (two) fell to Harvey and Willey respectively, Northamptonshire could smell blood.
Boje claimed the next three wickets of David Brown (11), Hodnett and Steve Adshead (9) to leave the visitors wobbling on 115 for six.
And despite losing tail-enders Richard Dawson and, in the final over, Hussain, Kadeer Ali was able to steer Gloucestershire over the finishing line.
The 26-year-old finished unbeaten on 19 and hit the winning runs for the visitors with a gentle push to the leg side.
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