GLOUCESTERSHIRE carved out a hard-earned five-wicket win over arch rivals Somerset in a low-scoring Royal London One-Day encounter at Bristol's Seat Unique Stadium. 

Jack Taylor returned figures of 4-31 with his leg breaks and then made an unbeaten 77 as the home side chased down a victory target of 200 with 7.1 overs to spare in front of a modest but enthusiastic derby crowd.

Somerset won the toss, posted 57 without loss in 10 overs and then inexplicably slumped to 112-7, one batsman after another giving their wicket away cheaply. Lewis Goldsworthy mustered a defiant 66, hewn from 103 balls with 2 fours, but the visitors were bowled out for 199 in 47.4 overs, with slow left armer Tom Smith taking 2-29 in support of Taylor.

Australian Test batsman Marcus Harris proved the mainstay of Gloucestershire's reply, raising 59 from 90 balls on a typically slow Bristol pitch, before Taylor and Zafar Gohar finished the job off. Kasey Aldridge was the pick of the Somerset bowlers, claiming 2-43.

Following back-to-back defeats at the hands of Warwickshire and Sussex, Gloucestershire will be relieved to have finally broken their duck, even though the contest will scarcely live long in the memory of those who witnessed it.

As for Somerset, they will go into Wednesday's home game against Durham seeking a first win in three attempts after another disappointing batting display.

 

There was no sign of the trouble that lay ahead as Matt Renshaw and Steve Davies staged a productive opening stand of 57 in 10.2 overs, justifying the decision to bat first.

However Somerset contributed to their own downfall, having made such a promising start, the cider county had lost four wickets for the addition of 34 runs in 10 overs, in the process offering Gloucestershire a way back into the contest.

At 111-6 in the 27th over, Goldsworthy represented Somerset's last realistic hope of posting a competitive score.

In danger of running out of partners and forced by the parlous situation in which he found himself to be circumspect, the 21-year-old Cornishman played responsibly to chisel 50 from 81 balls.

Somerset had no option but to press hard for early wickets and new ball bowlers Kasey Aldridge and Jack Brooks obliged, sweeping aside openers Chris Dent (3) and Ben Wells (15) respectively inside six overs.

However the hosts chased down the target set in 42.5 overs.