Bancroft goes big with Blast finals spot on the line

Cameron Bancroft produced his best T20 Blast performance of the season with a knock of 87 from 54 balls as Gloucestershire held off Middlesex to keep their hopes of a quarter-final place alive.

The former Australia Test batsman shared an opening partnership of 65 from 42 balls with Miles Hammond to set a platform for the visitors to post 8-179 at Chelmsford. 

Bancroft, who will play for Sydney Thunder again this summer, was quickly into action, ramping Tom Helm for six before crashing successive boundaries off Noah Cornwell. 

The opener advanced to his half-century in style from 31 balls, clubbing Luke Hollman for back-to-back straight sixes.

Despite a valiant unbeaten 73 from 52 by Middlesex captain Leus du Plooy, his side lost six wickets for 39 and fell short on 7-169. 

Gloucestershire currently sit in fourth place, but they will miss out on finals if Essex avoid defeat in their final match against Hampshire on Friday. 

^{Each team plays 14 matches, top four from each group qualifies for the quarter finals}

"To be honest, I had no idea what a par score was (on that pitch)," Bancroft told BBC radio after the match.

"I was lucky enough to find the middle of the bat and keep the scoreboard ticking along, somehow. 

"We'll all be keeping a close eye on the (Essex v Hampshire) game. For the first time ever, up the Hawks." 

Fellow Aussie Beau Webster contributed 9 (9) and 1-32 in the crucial victory. 

Around the grounds, Ashton Agar's Northamptonshire secured another win to go to third spot in the North Group and guarantee their spot in the quarter finals.

Agar got 1-30 with the ball and hit one six during his knock of nine off five balls as the Steelbacks overcame Warwickshire by 11 runs. 

Sussex's Daniel Hughes (13) and Nathan McAndrew (0-35) had rare off days as the Sharks fell to Riley Meredith's (0-29) Somerset in Taunton, but both sides had already locked away their finals spots. 

And Surrey's Sam Curran has produced one of the innings of the tournament, with his unbeaten 102 off 58 single-handedly chasing down Hampshire's 183 at the Oval. 

Hawks opener Ben McDermott got 11 but the match belonged to Curran, who ensured his side will now finish top of the South Group.