Somerset slipped down to third place in the South Group table after they were beaten by five wickets by the old enemy Gloucestershire in Bristol on Friday evening in front of a full house, writes Richard Walsh.

After being asked to bat, Somerset lost Will Smeed with four on the board before Tom Banton was joined by Tom Kohler-Cadmore. The second wicket partnership added 66 when Kohler-Cadmore was out for 25 in the ninth over.

Tom Abell then walked to the middle and helped to take the total on to 146 when Banton was out for 79, which came off 53 balls with eight fours and three sixes, from the penultimate delivery of the 16th over.

Abell perished for 39 with the score on 157, after which Sean Dickson, who ended not out 17 and Lewis Gregory who finished unbeaten on 19, saw Somerset to 188 for four from their 20 overs.

Chasing what looked to be a challenging target, the Gloucestershire openers took the total on to 29 when Riley Meredith accounted for fellow Australian Cameron Bancroft in the fourth over.

Opener Miles Hammond and James Bracey then added 41 for the before Roelof van der Merwe bowled the former for 39.

Bracey stayed at the crease to see up the 100 but shortly after was caught by Abell off the bowling of Jack Leach, playing in only his second ever T20 match, for 44.

Next over, Ben Green had Jack Taylor caught by ‘keeper Banton for four before Leach claimed his second scalp of the evening when he had Beau Webster caught by Kohler-Cadmore for nine.

In the space of 10 balls, the hosts had slipped from 101 for two to 108 for five, and the game looked to have swung back in Somerset’s favour.

Unfortunately for the Cidermen, 18 year-old Ollie Price and Ben Charlesworth then not only stemmed the fall of wickets, but blitzed 24 off the 15th over and remained together to see Gloucestershire to 190 for five with eight balls remaining. 

Price blasted an unbeaten 43 off just 15 balls with three fours and four sixes, while Charlesworth with 36 not out off 19 with four fours and two sixes were the difference on the night.

Somerset now take a break from T20 action and travelled to play at Notts on Sunday in the championship.

Somerset head coach Jason Kerr said: "I thought we were superb in the first half of the game, because it was a little bit tricky against their seamers on that surface early on. Tom Banton and Tom Kohler-Cadmore gave us a platform with their partnership and we were in a good place at the halfway stage.

“But the surface changed under lights with a bit of rain and we were below the standards we've set in this competition in the field. Gloucestershire played really well, but we were in a really strong position at 108-5 in the fourteenth over.

“As we've seen before in T20 cricket, it only takes one guy to tee off, and (Ollie) Price chanced his arm and got off to a really good start. He and (Ben) Charlesworth played brilliantly and got them well ahead of the game. When they needed 21 off the last three overs, it was done and dusted to be honest."