Gloucestershire ne phir se apne aap ko ek chhote se score tak hi seemit kar diya, kya baat hai! 135-7, aur woh bhi apne ghar ke maidan Bristol mein, jahan unhone socha tha ki shayad kuch kamaal kar denge. Jack Taylor ne 43 not out ke saath koshish toh ki, par unke baaki saathi unka saath na de sake. Lewis Goldsworthy ne ek hi over mein teen wicket lekar Gloucestershire ke hosh uda diye, aur Will Smeed ne 51 not out ke saath Somerset ke liye jeet ko aasaan bana diya. Yeh match toh ek tarfa hi raha, jahan Somerset ne apne purane dushman ko 14 ball baaki rakhte hue hara diya.
Gloucestershire ke liye yeh match unki T20 Blast campaign mein ek aur niraashajanak chapter raha. South Group mein woh abhi bhi ek bhi jeet nahi paaye hain, aur table mein neeche hi neeche khisakte ja rahe hain. Lekin chalo, unke paas abhi bhi waqt hai. Jack Taylor jaise khiladiyon ke saath, jo 29 ball mein 43 run banane ka dum rakhte hain, aur Mark Alleyne jaise coach ke guidance mein, unki one-day cricket mein wapas lautne ki ummeed toh banta hai. Alleyne, jo khud ek zamaane mein Gloucestershire ke liye glory days laaye the, abhi bhi team ke saath kaam kar rahe hain. Unki strategy aur experience shayad team ko ek nayi disha de sake.
Somerset, doosri taraf, South Group ke top par apni jagah aur mazboot kar chuke hain. Paanch matchon mein paanch jeet, aur 16 points ke saath woh abhi tak kisi bhi team se haraaye nahi hain. Lewis Goldsworthy ka yeh performance unke liye ek highlight raha—4-13 ka career-best figure, aur woh bhi ek over mein teen wicket ke saath! Will Smeed bhi apne aggressive batting ke liye jaane jaate hain, aur unhone is match mein bhi yeh dikhaya, 51 not out ke saath chase ko ek mazak bana diya. Yeh dono khiladi Somerset ke naye stars ban rahe hain, aur team ka confidence abhi charam seema par hai. Yaad hai jab Somerset ne 2022 mein T20 Blast ka final haara tha Gloucestershire ke haathon? Ab lagta hai unhone us haar ka badla poora le liya.
Gloucestershire ke liye ek ummeed ki kiran hai unke young players. Cameron Green, jo County Championship mein Kent ke khilaaf 102 not out bana chuke hain, ek aisa naam hai jo shayad T20 mein bhi chamak sakta hai. Ollie Price ne bhi Lancashire ke khilaaf 253 not out ki shandaar inning kheli thi, jo unki team ke liye ek record-bani performance thi. Yeh khiladi dikhaate hain ki Gloucestershire ke paas talent ki kami nahi hai. Bas unhe apne mauke ko pakadna hai aur thodi si consistency dikhani hai. County cricket ka maza hi yahi hai—kabhi bhi koi chhoti si team bade dikhlaaon ko hara sakti hai. Yaad hai jab Leicestershire ne Gloucestershire ko ek kareebi match mein haraya tha, jab Gloucestershire ke paas jeet ka mauka tha par woh usse chook gaye?
Lekin chalo, Gloucestershire ke fans ke liye ek chhoti si baat. Yeh team apni purani shaan, WG Grace ke zamaane wali, ko wapas laane ki koshish kar rahi hai. Unka Nevil Road Ground, jo 1889 se unka ghar raha hai, shayad jald hi bikne wala hai. Agar yeh deal ho gayi, toh shayad naye maidan aur naye infrastructure ke saath team ka bhavishya roshan ho. Par filhaal, unka T20 Blast ka safar thoda andhera hi lag raha hai. Somerset ke saath yeh haar unhe yaad dilati hai ki abhi unhe apne game ko aur behtar karna hoga. Agla match shayad ek nayi shuruaat laaye, par tab tak, Gloucestershire ke fans ko thodi si himmat rakhni hogi.
