T20 Blast: Surrey beat Gloucestershire to reach last eight

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Tillakarantne DilshanImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Dilshan has scored 1,466 runs in 62 international T20 matches for Sri Lanka

NatWest T20 Blast, Cheltenham

Surrey 157-8 beat Gloucestershire 152-7 by five runs

Surrey booked their place in the quarter-finals of the T20 Blast after clinching a narrow five-run victory over Gloucestershire at Cheltenham.

Batting first, Surrey posted 157-8 with Tillakaratne Dilshan making a quick-fire 36 off 23 balls and Robin Peterson hitting an unbeaten 23.

In response, Gloucestershire were reduced to 15-2 before 45 from captain Michael Klinger steadied their innings.

Jack Taylor hit 18 off the last over as the home side finished on 152-7.

The 22-year-old had impressed earlier with the ball taking 2-20 in his four overs and shared an unbeaten 29-run eighth-wicket partnership with Hamish Marshall (27 not out).

There was an equally impressive bowling performance by Zafar Ansari who took 3-27, having Klinger caught by Matt Dunn before bowling Ian Cockbain (18) and removing Will Gidman for a duck.

The defeat leaves Gloucestershire unable to qualify for the next round, as they are five points behind fourth place Glamorgan with two matches remaining.

Surrey skipper Gary Wilson:

"It was a great effort from the bowlers because we didn't get a great score.

"The partnership between Peterson and Dernbach at the end of our innings was crucial. Jade has aggravated a hamstring niggle, which is why he didn't bowl.

"We have managed to qualify for the knock-out stage from what I consider the stronger group and would love to have a quarter-final at The Oval."

Gloucestershire captain Michael Klinger:

"I'm getting very frustrated because we keep making the same mistakes with some of the basics of T20 cricket.

"Surrey are a very talented side, but we were in a position to beat them today and it didn't happen."

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