Cricket Payne elated after his six seals thrilling win over Hampshire

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.

- By ANDY STOCKHAUSEN

Chasing a modest 125 to win and buoyed by D'Arcy Short’s 41-ball 49, Gloucestershire were cruising at 112-4 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 kept his composure to lift the final ball, bowled by Chris Wood, over long-on for a last-gasp match-winning six.

The veteran left arm seamer had earlier claimed 3-20 from four overs to undermine Hampshire's top-order and help restrict the visitors to 124-9 after they had been inserted on a characteristically slow Bristol pitch. Josh Shaw and Ben Charlesworth weighed in with two wickets apiece and Miles Hammond claimed a remarkable five catches as Gloucestershire gained a second win in as many games to keep alive their outside hopes of making the quarter-finals.

Payne said: “I'm feeling a real mix of emotions - frustration at the batters not getting us over the line, but also elation at winning the game.

“I didn’t expect to have to come out and have to try and win the game like that and I was panicking a little bit. But then Josh Shaw came down the track and talked to me about the situation. He calmed me down and advised me to strike the ball hard and run. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do until I saw the ball in the slot.