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The two were deadly together with the ball, but never got along. Now, a possible reunion at Multan Sultans has been called off

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Aug-2017

The Caribbean league wants its brand to remain local but is seeking to attract IPL investment, and Indian players and TV audiences

Peter Miller25-Feb-2016When Ernest Hilaire, the out-going CEO of the West Indies Cricket Board, announced in late 2012 that a “commercial T20″ league would be created, few would have blamed those that witnessed the rise and ignominious fall of Allen Stanford for being a bit nervous.It has been almost seven years since the spectacular collapse of Stanford’s business empire, and with it his groundbreaking Stanford 20/20 tournament, but for many the Texan fraudster’s name is still the first that springs to mind when considering T20 cricket in the Caribbean. The wounds are yet to heal. But Caribbean Premier League CEO Damien O’Donohoe says that Stanford isn’t discussed anymore by those running the CPL.”Like with anything, even if Stanford had never happened it would have taken us time to build trust,” O’Donohoe told ESPNcricinfo. “Of course, in year one, people were bringing up the Stanford name, but, to be honest, it isn’t a name we have heard in over two and a half years now. We have come in and promised a huge amount, and we have delivered over and above what we said we would do.”In recent weeks Stanford’s name has reappeared as a result of a BBC interview in which he claimed, from his prison cell in Florida, that he was not guilty of the crimes for which he has been sentenced to 110 years in jail. Beyond those headline-grabbing assertions, however, it was his comments about the commercial viability of cricket in the Caribbean that were of most interest.”I was trying to grow the Stanford brand globally,” Stanford told the BBC’s Dan Roan. “What nobody understood is that I anticipated this new generation of players that we were going to uncover. When we had our first cricket tournament, we broadcast that and I gave the TV rights away globally. We had over a billion people watch our matches and that was the island-versus-island competition.”

For all of his failings, Stanford “got” T20 cricket and where it belonged in the modern Caribbean culture. In many ways the CPL is the natural progression of his vision

Perhaps the CPL is no less exploitative. It is, after all, a private venture attempting to make money out of West Indies cricket. Digicel are the majority shareholder of the tournament and, just as Stanford did, they see the potential of cricket in the Caribbean to generate income, and the numbers seem to be proving them right.That is not to say that the CPL is not doing its bit for growing the game. Kids are proudly wearing their CPL jerseys, the players have school visits written into their contracts, and the CPL management make it very clear that helping the grassroots game is as much part of their goals as any financial reward. There is plenty of evidence that these are more than just empty promises.O’Donohoe is very proud of the growth that the league has shown over the last three years. TV viewership is up to 92 million and attendances have increased 44% in last year, thanks to a move to more floodlit matches after an experiment with day-time games to better suit a worldwide TV audience. The quality of overseas players has increased. This season Brendon McCullum, AB de Villiers and Shane Watson will all be taking part, which will help raise interest. The issue is how to make that growth continue at the current rate and allow the CPL to hold its own against the likes of the IPL and the Big Bash.The answer, as always where cricket is concerned, is India. The CPL has already made decent strides in this regard. Hero is now the title sponsor and there are two IPL owners with teams in the tournament. Half of that growing TV audience is from India. Finding a way to increase that connection with the Indian market is described by O’Donohoe as the CPL’s biggest challenge.”In year two we played the majority of our games during the day and it had an impact on numbers through the turnstiles. And at the end of the day we realised, this is a Caribbean product for Caribbean people. It is something that they are massively proud of, as are we,” O’Donohoe says. “I think you can’t alter your local product to try and please international markets. What we are trying to do is playing games later at night and building a package for the Indians, which is like a breakfast TV package, so it is, ‘Wake up to the CPL.'”Venky Mysore (right): “Indian viewership is 50% of CPL viewership. There are a few ideas that are being collated and brainstorming taking place on how you get Indian viewership going”•BCCIThis approach has already been successful for NBA basketball in India, and has also worked for the BBL in the UK. The major danger here is that the CPL will lose what makes it special. When people tune in, they do so as much for atmosphere as for the cricket. The need to court the India market puts this at risk. Finding that balance is why O’Donohoe says the challenge is so large.Venky Mysore, CEO of both Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL and the newly renamed Trinbago Knight Riders of the CPL, is excited about finding a way to make the CPL a viable live television product in India.”I connected [the CPL management] to Sony, who is the broadcaster in India, because we do a lot of work with Sony. And we are working on some ideas, because the stats that CPL showed me were impressive that last year. Maybe it was a coincidence – with our entry, viewership doubled, and Indian viewership is 50% of CPL viewership. I think it will be fabulous to do something interesting. There are a few ideas that are being collated and brainstorming taking place on how you get Indian viewership going.”Mysore is also keen to point out the advantage of having Indian players taking part in the CPL, although he is aware that this is a long shot. For him the BCCI allowing the up-and-coming Indian players would be a start.”I think it will be great to have Indian players as well, as I said in the past. I think the board has their own reasoning for [restricting involvement], but I hope that they will ease up on that, at least in a limited way to start off with, allowing some of the emerging players, because there is a lot of talent there. It will be great for them to come and have this kind of exposure.”No one is better placed to get the BCCI to rethink its stance on Indian players than IPL franchise owners, and now that there are two very high-profile link-ups between the CPL and the IPL, the Caribbean league is very well placed to argue its case for some Indian involvement. If that does happen, it will be a massive coup for the CPL as the first T20 tournament other than the IPL to have the biggest drawcards in the sport playing for their teams.

“What we are trying to do is playing games later at night and building a package for the Indians, which is like a breakfast TV package, so it is, ‘Wake up to the CPL'”Damian O’Donohoe

While India is a much trodden path, albeit one with potential to grow, the real prize in cricket expansion is the USA. The demise of the United States of America Cricket Association has seen the ICC take over the running of the sport in the country. This has allowed the CPL to gain agreement to host six matches in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. With the CPL promising cheap tickets, they should be well attended, and will serve as an excellent gauge of where cricket in the USA sits in the present climate.The CPL is run in an attempt to generate profits and, O’Donohoe says they are close to breaking even. While Stanford spoke to the BBC about potential profits further down the line, his events always looked to be less about making money and more an exercise in furthering the Texan’s cult of personality. It seems the CPL method is working. Whatever the motivation, this has been the most successful – and soon to be the longest-lived – T20 cricket venture in the Caribbean’s history.That is not to say the CPL has not had its problems. That need to break even has led to some challenges in dealing with the various governments in the region. The CPL estimates it brings some US$56 million into the Caribbean each year. In return they have requested governmental support, both in terms of finance and infrastructure. Last year there was talk of Barbados losing its team, after O’Donohoe and COO Pete Russell accused the government and private sector on the island of failing to support the enterprise.It is telling that Vijay Mallya, the new owner of Barbados Tridents, was keen to stress when speaking at the CPL draft that government support had been vital in his decision to purchase the team. It is also very interesting that the St Lucia-based franchise Zouks have dropped the country’s name from their promotional materials ahead of the 2016 season, the implication being that St Lucia’s failure to offer adequate support to the CPL has cost them the free “advertising” that comes with being associated with the franchise.While it is understandable that the CPL is looking for some support from the governments of the islands it visits, the issue will always be the lack of money in an economically depressed region. This has been a source of conflict for all cricket in the Caribbean, and chances are it will continue to be that way for the foreseeable future. To reach an agreement that makes all parties happy will not be easy.What we know for sure is the CPL has gone a long way towards revitalising confidence in cricket in the Caribbean. The games are well attended, the TV viewership is growing and the organisers are arranging those matches in the USA. O’Donohoe even says there is interest from a third IPL owner in purchasing a team. The issues with the national set-up are not going away but the CPL has meant there are at least some positives for cricket in the West Indies. The tournament exists as a separate yet symbiotic entity to the national team and its growth should be celebrated.Outside of the Caribbean, there may be a lingering cynicism about Stanford’s original involvement in cricket, but within the region, his legacy remains mixed. For all of his failings, Stanford “got” T20 cricket and where it belonged in modern Caribbean culture. In many ways the CPL is the natural progression of his vision. Had the Stanford circus continued, it may well have ended up looking much like the current set-up, with its Indian investment and expansion into the USA.The CPL wants to be an integral part of West Indies cricket, not just something that makes money out of it. When speaking of long-term goals, the time frames discussed are decades, not years. In many ways, the need to make money has made the whole thing more streamlined and, as a result, increased its chances of success. If O’Donohoe has his way, the CPL will be part of the landscape for generations to come.

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day as South Africa wrap up the series against West Indies in thumping style

David Hopps21-Jan-2015Ghost of the dayHow much were West Indies still shaken by AB de Villiers’ fastest hundred in ODI history? They picked an experimental side and then self-destructed, showing little appetite for picking their way to a defendable target on a low, slow one at Buffalo Park. When the match finished early, some of us got the chance to watch de Villiers on TV for the first time. Always look on the bright side.Venue of the dayThree ODIs in East London in nine years does not say much for South Africa’s appetite for taking the game to the Eastern Cape. The crowd filled out visibly in the final two hours, only for the match to end before the dancing had barely begun.Tone setter of the dayVernon Philander’s first delivery immediately struck a perfect line and length and that was too good for Dwayne Smith who nicked a catch to de Villiers. It was pretty much downhill from there.Low spot of the dayFlick your way through West Indies’ dismissals and it will be hard to find much worse than the demise of Andre Russell, who tried to slog a length ball from Morne Morkel over square leg and had his leg stump hit. Pre-meditated or just an aberration? Horrendous, whatever it was.Fluff of the dayNothing cheered West Indies, who could not even summon a spirited performance in the field. Faf du Plessis benefited from a bad miss by Sulieman Benn, of Carlos Brathwaite, a mistimed, one-handed leap at mid-on.Overlooked stat of the dayImran Tahir’s 4 for 28 represented his best one-day figures and they were deserved on a day when his googly was in good working order.

With a complicated web to weave, the ECB may have identified the ultimate company man in charming, soothing Andrew Strauss

David Hopps13-Sep-2013Ever since he became captain of the England cricket team, there has been a sense of entitlement about Andrew Strauss. Suggestions he would be fast-tracked as a Conservative MP have so far proved unfounded, but whether it be as a summariser on Sky Sports, a motivational speaker, or, the role in sharpest focus, the next managing director of England cricket, he has no shortage of admirers.Bright, diplomatic and persuasive, you could also envisage him as a British High Commissioner in one of the nicer, trouble-free parts of the world, discussing trade deals and educational opportunities and slipping into the conversation at an appropriate time how something really must be done about this immigration problem. That Strauss will charm and soothe in whatever he commits the next phase of his life to is rather taken for granted.There will be other candidates, naturally, when the deadline for applications closes on September 25: Nasser Hussain, another former England captain, would keep the role focused and demanding; Clare Connor, former captain of the England women’s team and head of England women’s cricket, is mulling over whether to apply; and Angus Fraser, managing director of cricket at Middlesex and a former England stalwart, would also be an obvious fit if he moved offices across Lord’s.To further complicate matters, Andy Flower’s future as England team director remains uncertain, perhaps even to him. England split the coaching role to accommodate Flower’s wish to spend more time with his family, putting Ashley Giles in charge of the one-day set-up, but ESPNcricinfo first indicated last month that Flower’s appetite to remain as coach of the Test side might not extend beyond this winter’s Ashes series in Australia.In the middle of it all, Strauss had the luxury this summer of shadowing the former managing director of the England team, Hugh Morris, as he goes about his job. It has been quite a privilege, an invitation into the inner sanctum if ever there was one. There is no doubt who is seducing whom. It would be no surprise to find that the ECB quietly slipped a few of Strauss’s favourite wines into the office.The ECB has a complicated web to weave and, not for the first time, there is the danger of adding to an ever-growing bureaucracy. The more Flower retreats from day-to-day coaching, the more his role begins to overlap with that of MD of England cricket. A structure that has done much to improve the performance of the England cricket team is in danger of becoming bloated and confused to satisfy the individual aspirations of talented individuals.Senior officials have been known to disappear for years within the offices of the ECB – and that includes Morris, whose role became increasingly hard to define and who certainly distanced himself from media responsibilities as Flower asserted his own, highly-disciplined and protective approach. Quite what does the MD of England cricket do? This is a chance to re-examine demarcation lines.Strauss has been suitably discreet about his potential job application. “I’m looking into it,” he said. “But they’re decisions that need to be made over the next couple of weeks and I’ll think quite long and hard about whether it’s the right time and the right job for me. I haven’t decided one way or another but I’m certainly looking at it, as will a lot of other people be.”I’m very passionate about the game of cricket and want to contribute to it. In exactly what way that is, that kind of remains to be seen.”

It is impossible to avoid the conclusion that when it comes to the ECB, Strauss is the ultimate company man. He does not as much tick the boxes as employ others to tick them for him.

Not to be too distasteful, because Strauss would have politer sensibilities, but there is also the issue of money. Morris’s salary is thought to have been around £150,000, which for most of us would be nice if you can get it, but so soon after retirement Strauss can command considerably higher figures in other areas. Since retirement, he has also been in demand as a “brand ambassador”, and although anybody with a real desire to achieve can surely not feel satisfied with such a superficial existence for long, he has felt the attraction of easy money. Perhaps at the moment he is simply not affordable?It was intriguing to Strauss’s approach to his role for Sky Sports during the Ashes series. “I really enjoyed doing the Sky stuff,” he said, but at times he seemed cautious in the role – uneasy even – as his fellow commentators gently tried to tease out opinions about a dressing room of which he had so recently been such a dominant part.Every former England captain faces a difficult transition in moving to the commentary box. As a captain, the protection of team unity is essential. A successful captain builds a strong sense of loyalty and mutual support. Then comes the switch to the commentary box where tactics are debated, techniques are dismantled and strong opinions demanded.Time soon makes that transition more comfortable. Dressing rooms evolve, ties weaken, loyalties are no longer as strong. But some make the shift more quickly than others. For Michael Atherton, it was merely part of the intellectual process; his move from captain to analyst, whether on TV or in the written word, has been hugely successful. Hussain, driven by a wish to express strong, honest opinions, also benefited from an independent spirit.But there were times, when Strauss’s discomfort seemed to have a deeper source; the discomfort of a man born not to debate but to lead. Insights were hard to find, presumably because he did not always wish to offer them. His belief in the England project seemed absolute, his unwillingness to undermine it apparent. To some extent, he was still acting as a brand ambassador – for English cricket.His autobiography comes out next month and it is hoped that it is more deep and meaningful than many, but if it reads more like a job application than a dismantling of the system, nobody will be overly surprised.If Strauss and the ECB demur, what then? While the job specification requires “international playing experience”, David Collier, the chief executive of the ECB, has indicated that such experience need not necessarily be in cricket. Collier also went on to suggest that while “playing at international level is strongly preferred, consideration could be given to someone who has outstanding international cricket management experience with the senior national team.”That encourages all manner of names to be conjured up: Sir Clive Woodward, the former England rugby coach or Peter Moores, Lancashire and former England coach, would both qualify for consideration. According to the most informed sports gossip column around, Darren Gough and Nick Knight are also expected to be among the applicants.But it is impossible to avoid the conclusion that when it comes to the ECB, Strauss is the ultimate company man. He does not as much tick the boxes as employ others to tick them for him. One senior official has even been known to refer to him at times as “Dear Andrew”. Flower’s future massively complicates the issue. But we may be about to find out whether Dear Andrew is ready to answer the call.

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the first day of the first Test between Australia and New Zealand at the Gabba

Daniel Brettig at the Gabba01-Dec-2011The debutants
As they did in Johannesburg in 2009, Australia presented baggy green caps to three men on the same morning. Two years ago Ricky Ponting had handed the caps to Phillip Hughes, Marcus North and Ben Hilfenhaus, but this time his successor Michael Clarke called on a trio of older stagers to do the honours. David Warner’s was presented by Michael Slater, Andy Bichel handed out the cap to James Pattinson and Richie Benaud gaved Mitchell Starc his. Benaud might have mentioned his own great left-arm paceman Alan Davidson to Starc, who like Davidson can swing the ball.The first over
Clarke surprised by handing the first over to Pattinson, and a nervous over resulted. Three times Brendon McCullum crashed offside boundaries, and Pattinson also served up a wide. Swing and seam was evident, but the radar way awry. Seldom missing a trick so far as Test captain, Clarke perhaps erred in posting Nathan Lyon and Starc to mid-on and mid-off. The reassuring sight of his Victorian team-mate and good friend Peter Siddle near the bowler’s mark would have helped to soothe Pattinson’s nerves, much as Lyon benefited from having his New South Wales country colleague Trent Copeland alongside him in Sri Lanka. Instead, Siddle was at fine leg, and Pattinson’s edginess endured.The drops
For a period either side of lunch, it seemed New Zealand were handing out chances more readily than Australia’s fielders were prepared to accept them. Usman Khawaja had twice spurned catches at short leg before he accepted a gentler offering from Kane Williamson’s bat and pad, but it was a genuine surprise to see Clarke and Warner spill chances. Clarke grassed a slips catch from Dean Brownlie that was simple in every respect apart from the fact it flew off the toe of Brownlie’s bat, and Warner allowed the same batsman’s cut at Starc to burst through his hands.The rain
It is a feature of Brisbane’s ground-staff, attuned as they are to the vagaries of the tropics, that the curator Kevin Mitchell junior will occasionally rush out onto the field to cover the pitch in advance of the umpires asking him to. This time the rain was yet to arrive when the umpires called off play for bad light, but Mitchell, having observed the weather radar closely, had the covers rolled out and sitting next to the match strip in anticipation of the first drop of moisture. When it landed the pitch was safely covered, as the day’s play slid to a damp and early conclusion at 4pm local time as the rain fell solidly for the remainder of the evening.

His numbers in T20s and in first-class cricket are fantastic, but Nabi knows not to get his hopes up too much

Shashank Kishore12-Dec-2025For a few seasons now, Jammu & Kashmir’s Auqib Nabi, 29, has taught himself to expect nothing from the IPL auction. And yet, as December 16 approaches, even he admits things feel a little different ahead of the auction for 2026.”It feels different, but I’m not able to point a finger to any one specific reason,” Nabi tells ESPNcricinfo. “Finally that moment is here… but you can’t tell anything. If it doesn’t happen, it’s fine. I’m used to it. I’ll work even harder.”These are familiar words if you’ve spoken to anyone on the fringes of the IPL. But Nabi is earnest and unmistakably pragmatic. While he is firmly anchored to the belief that nothing in cricket is guaranteed, he allows himself one concession: “This year… there’s some excitement.” And there’s a good reason.Related

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Auqib Nabi and Prithvi Shaw light up the Ranji Trophy

Nabi has picked up 15 wickets in seven matches so far at the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) at an economy rate of 7.41. In his most recent outing earlier this week, against Madhya Pradesh, he contributed a cameo 32 off 21 balls with the bat that helped set up a defendable total, before returning with a crucial three-wicket haul to seal the game for J&K.The SMAT performances came on the back of an exceptional start to the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy, where he was the only seamer among the top-five wicket-takers in the first half of the season. His 29 wickets in nine innings included three five-fors and a stunning 7 for 24 against Rajasthan, helping J&K guarantee themselves a knockouts berth.Those numbers merely extended the dominance he showed in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy, when he finished with 44 wickets at a remarkable average of 13.93. No seamer in the country came close – the next best managed 35 wickets – and only Vidarbha’s left-arm spin-bowling allrounder Harsh Dubey bettered Nabi’s tally with a record-breaking 69 wickets.

“It’s very tough when you keep performing well and still get no recognition. It’s deflating. But it has taught me to be mentally strong. It’s on the individual how to handle this. No one can teach you”Auqib Nabi

On the back of this rich haul, Nabi was picked in the North Zone squad for the season-opening Duleep Trophy, where he announced himself with four wickets in four balls. Yet, even as Nabi’s domestic record has grown more compelling with each passing season, his continued absence from India A squads has been a talking point within the cricketing ecosystem.”It’s very tough when you keep performing well and still get no recognition,” Nabi says. “It’s deflating. But it has taught me to be mentally strong. It’s on the individual how to handle this. No one can teach you.”Nabi underlines how social media posts – from family, friends and well-wishers who look at his numbers and assume a breakthrough is imminent – has amplified expectations. “I try to keep my focus on matches. I don’t think about selection or results. I live in the present, not the future or past. But how can I tell this to my family or friends who think [it will happen this time]?”To them, it’s the numbers [which matter]. To me, it’s performances that I’ve put in. But also luck is a big thing. Trials are a tough place. You’re competing with so many. When you bowl, who is watching, how many balls you get – all this makes a difference. Sometimes, you have to achieve certain targets, even if it may seem unrealistic. There are so many things that go into being picked in the shortlist from some one-thousand names and then for your name to be called out.”Auqib Nabi was the most successful fast bowler at the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy•PTI “[During] Ranji last season, nobody even spoke of me. I had six five-fors, and was among the best pacers. But it was only after this Duleep [Trophy] match where I took four [wickets] in four [balls] that I got the recognition. Even though it was in a red-ball match, a record is a record.”Suddenly, teams were calling. Trials followed with Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians. A few others were in the pipeline, but clashed with SMAT games.”All the trials went well. Let’s see [what happens] on the 16th,” Nabi says with a shrug. He doesn’t even know if he will watch the auction. “I prefer not to think a lot about it. I may not even watch it. I don’t know; it’s so hard to say how it’ll be on that day.”What has sustained him through these years is his skill. Nabi isn’t obsessed with the speed gun, even though he plays in a region that has produced Umran Malik. He knows his value lies elsewhere.Nabi’s natural delivery is the outswinger to the right-hand batter, but he has worked hard to master the inswinger too, spending two seasons honing the ability to move the ball both ways with control. The work has extended to T20 skills – yorkers, wide yorkers, slower bouncers, as well as the discipline of bowling with the new ball and at the death.

“I keep alternating between deleting social media apps and installing them just to post and get out”Auqib Nabi

“You need to keep evolving,” he says. Through it all, fitness has never abandoned him. “I’m blessed that way, because I’ve never looked at fitness as something extra; it’s part of my conditioning. That’s why long spells have never been an issue.”Nabi credits J&K bowling coach P Krishna Kumar for guiding him through the nuances of red-ball and white-ball bowling, and helping him understand his game better. But perhaps the biggest shift has come from the improvements within the J&K cricket ecosystem.”Earlier, before Ranji, there wasn’t much build-up. I used to play club cricket in Bangalore, which can be tough for an outsider. Now we have camps, matches, wickets, practice games. There’s a system in place.”Coming from a background where even a proper pitch to bowl on and wearing spikes, didn’t exist, the difference is immense. “Where I come from, in Baramulla, there’s no set-up. I had to bowl from a short run-up. Even now, if I have to train, I go to Srinagar or Jammu. These are the two places.”The competitive mindset has changed too. A decade ago, merely competing with big teams was treated like an achievement. Today, the belief is different. “Last four-five years, we’ve developed that mindset. Competing is not good enough. We can beat anyone. It starts from there.”The achievements of players like Umran Malik have allowed J&K players to dream big•Getty ImagesFormer J&K captain and allrounder Parvez Rasool sowed those seeds of belief when, in 2015, he became the first player from J&K to represent India. Malik has shown what raw pace can do. Abdul Samad and Rasikh Salam have seen intermittent IPL success. Young players in J&K now allow themselves to dream big.Nabi himself remains deeply committed to that dream, but he also holds another one close: winning a domestic title for J&K.”I’ll be happiest if I can help my team win a title,” he says. Conversations with senior players like Arshdeep Singh during the Duleep Trophy have reinforced what he already believed: follow the process, trust the work, stay true to your routines, and results will follow.Nabi has been hardened by the domestic grind over the years, but when expectations from outside get too much, he cuts himself off. “I keep alternating between deleting social media apps and installing them just to post and get out,” he says with a hint of a laugh.Nabi’s performances over the last 18 months are now slowly being talked about. His name is circulating in the right places. Yet, he is guarded: “If it happens, great. If not, I’ll go back to work. But yes… this year, there’s excitement.”

Batter smashes eight sixes and eight fours, leaving Gloucestershire with plenty of ground to make up

ECB Reporters Network09-Jun-2023Will Smeed produced a blistering knock of 94 from 35 balls to propel top-of-the-table Somerset to a comfortable 80-run Vitality Blast win over West Country rivals Gloucestershire at the Seat Unique Stadium.The England Lions batter dominated a brilliant opening stand of 122 in 10 overs with Tom Banton, accruing eight sixes and eight fours, as Somerset ran up 231 for 4, their best ever total in matches against Gloucestershire and the third-highest recorded in any T20 fixture at Bristol.Chasing such a huge total proved beyond a Gloucestershire side missing several key players through injury, the hosts being dismissed for 151 in 19 overs, despite a spirited knock of 61 from Miles Hammond, who shared in a stand of 75 for the second wicket with Ben Charlesworth.Roelof van der Merwe and Josh Davey claimed three wickets each to derail the reply, while off-spinner Shoaib Bashir went through the tail to finish with three also as Gloucestershire lost their last nine wickets for just 52 runs.This was Somerset’s seventh win in eight South Group matches this summer and victory over their neighbours served to maintain their advantage over nearest rivals Surrey and Hampshire. Beaten in four of their seven fixtures, Gloucestershire have a good deal of ground to make up if they are to challenge for a quarter-final place.Having played himself into form when making 52 against Hampshire at Southampton last time out, Smeed picked up where he left off, treating a full house to an astonishing display of clean hitting after Somerset had been put in.The 21-year-old right-hander was particularly severe on Gloucestershire’s spinners, greeting Zafar Gohar with a huge six over backward square leg in the third over. He repeated the shot at the expense of Matt Taylor in the next over, while Banton drove Zafar and Taylor down the ground for four to give the powerplay lift-off.Veteran left arm seamer David Payne managed to restore some sanity to proceedings in two overs with the new ball that cost just 10 runs, but Smeed launched a terrible assault upon Tom Smith, plundering a quartet of fours and a six to race to a 21-ball 50 at the end of an over that spawned 24 runs as the visitors raised 62 from the powerplay.There was no respite for the bowlers, Smeed welcoming Danny Lamb with a towering six backward of square and then helping himself to another maximum, smashing the Lancastrian over long-on. Desperate to break the opening partnership, Gloucestershire skipper Jack Taylor called himself into the attack to bowl the ninth over, only to see his first delivery dispatched over long-on for six and his second, another full toss, put away through mid-wicket for four. When Banton hoisted him high over the long-on boundary, Somerset had raised 100 inside nine overs.In attempting to post a hundred inside 10 overs, Smeed blotted his copybook, attempting to hit Zafar over deep square for six, only to fall short and hole out to Matt Taylor, much to the relief of Gloucestershire’s players and supporters. Having held sway for 36 murderous minutes, the opener finished with eight sixes and eight fours, coming agonisingly close to registering what would have been a spectacular 35-ball century. Smeed has now been dismissed in the nineties on five occasions during his career.Cast in the unaccustomed role of support act, Banton went in the very next over, falling to a brilliant catch by wicketkeeper James Bracey and departing for a run-a-ball 26 with the score still on 122.Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Tom Abell added 40 in 3.5 overs for the third wicket, maintaining Somerset’s impressive momentum. Hard-hitting Kohler-Cadmore struck 30 from 15 balls before taking on Zafar once too often and being held on the mid-wicket boundary by Hammond.Gloucestershire stuck to their task, Ollie Price bowling Abell in the act of sweeping to reduce the visitors to 173 for 4 in the 16th over.Although Somerset raised 200 inside 18 overs, the record score for a T20 match at Bristol – 242 made by Gloucestershire against Middlesex in 2018 – was always likely to prove beyond them. Nevertheless, Lewis Gregory and Sean Dickson gave it their best shot, staging a frenzied unbeaten alliance of 58 in 24 balls for the fifth wicket as the home side wilted under pressure. Gregory mustered a brace of sixes and fours in scoring 30 from 13 balls, while Dickson’s 28 occupied 17 balls.Payne showed what was possible by sending down four overs for 25, but it was a painful experience for some of his teammates, Lamb conceding 53 from three overs and Smith 36 from two as Gloucestershire came under sustained heavy bombardment.Craig Overton dismissed Ben Wells in the third over to render Gloucestershire’s task even more difficult, but Hammond and Charlesworth matched one another blow for blow as the reply passed 50 inside five overs. The powerplay yielded 63 and the 50 partnership arrived via 33 balls as the second wicket pair served notice of their determination to make a game of it.Just when Somerset needed a breakthrough, Davey obliged, removing Charlesworth and Ollie Price with successive deliveries in the tenth over. Charlesworth had scored 41 from 25 balls and helped add 75 with Hammond, when he was held at long-on, while Davey took a fine return catch to account for Price via a leading edge as the hosts reached the halfway point of their innings on 100 for 3.Hammond continued his defiance, going to 50 from 28 balls, but he chanced his arm once too often when attempting to hit van de Merwe over long-on and instead holed out to Overton. When Jack Taylor fell later in the same over, Gloucestershire were 124 for 5, requiring a notional 108 runs from 44 balls, and the outcome was beyond doubt.Smeed said: “I was on about 77 when Tom Banton said to me ‘you’ve got to go for the quickest hundred’. That was very much in my mind thereafter, and explains why I went for that big hit on 94. I do like scores in the nineties and it’s a shame I was unable to go on and reach three figures. But I really enjoyed myself out there.”