Gloucestershire Edge Past Worcestershire by Three Runs to Consolidate Second Place

Gloucestershire won by 3 runs against Worcestershire in the 45th match of 112 in the T20 Blast 2026, played at County Ground, Bristol.

Gloucestershire won the toss and elected to bat, posting 148/7 from their 20 overs. The home side’s innings was anchored by Ben Charlesworth, who top-scored with 49 off 34 balls at a strike rate of 144, hitting three fours and two sixes. Jack Taylor contributed 26 off 21 with three fours and a six, while opener Miles Hammond struck a brisk 18 off 13 including two fours and a six before falling bowled at 29/2 in the fourth over.

Gloucestershire stumbled early, losing D’Arcy Short for a duck bowled in the first over (1/1) and Joe Phillips for 6 caught at 17/3. Taylor and Charlesworth rebuilt with a 56-run stand before Taylor fell at 88/4 in the 11th over. Charlesworth carried on until he was caught at 103/5. Oliver Joseph Price contributed an unbeaten 20 off 23, but wickets kept falling as Gloucestershire managed 22 off the final three overs to finish on 148/7.

Tom Taylor was the pick of the Worcestershire bowlers with 3-0-20-2 at an economy of 6.67, while Matthew Waite took 4-0-33-2 and Sikandar Raza bowled a tidy 4-0-19-1 at 4.75.

Worcestershire Chase Falls Agonisingly Short

Worcestershire’s chase of 149 got off to a poor start, slipping to 28/4 in the fifth over. Brett D’Oliveira fell for 7 at 12/1, Isaac Mohammed made 8 before departing at 18/2, Kashif Ali went for 6 at 28/3, and Ethan Brookes was caught for a duck at 28/4.

Raza transformed the chase single-handedly. He blazed 47 off 31 balls with four fours and two sixes, striking at 152 to haul Worcestershire back into contention. His partnership with Adam Hose (14 off 18) added crucial runs, but Raza’s dismissal bowled at 100/6 in the 14th over shifted momentum decisively. Gareth Roderick kept fighting with 23 off 23, but Worcestershire fell three runs short, bowled out for 145 in 20 overs.

Duan Jansen was devastating with the ball, taking 4-0-37-4. Marchant de Lange was excellent at 4-0-21-2 with an economy of 5.25, and Jack Taylor took 4-0-22-2 at 5.50.

Statz MVP

Sikandar Raza takes the Statz MVP award with an mi_rating of 118.85. The Zimbabwean all-rounder was the most impactful player on either side – his 47 off 31 in the chase nearly pulled off an unlikely Worcestershire victory from 28/4, and he bowled a superb 4-0-19-1 in the first innings at an economy of just 4.75. The Statz formula, which calculates impact based on match context, recognised that his contributions came at the most critical moments of the match.

Top 5 Statz Ratings

1. Sikandar Raza – 118.85 – 47 off 31 with the bat and 4-0-19-1, the heartbeat of Worcestershire’s effort in defeat.
2. Jack Taylor – 91.02 – 26 off 21 with the bat and 4-0-22-2 bowling, a dual impact from the Gloucestershire all-rounder.
3. Tom Taylor – 86.87 – 3-0-20-2 with the ball and an unbeaten 14 off 10 lower down – key contributions in a tight win.
4. Duan Jansen – 72.35 – 4-0-37-4 was the headline bowling return of the match, ripping through the Worcestershire middle and lower order.
5. Ben Charlesworth – 65.54 – Top-scored with 49 off 34 to provide the foundation Gloucestershire needed.

Turning Point

The dismissal of Sikandar Raza bowled at 100/6 in the 14th over. Worcestershire had clawed back from 28/4 thanks to Raza’s 47, but his departure left 49 needed from 41 balls with only the tail for company. The lower order scrapped hard but fell three runs short.

Match Context

This was the 45th match of 112 in the T20 Blast 2026. Gloucestershire sit second in the standings with 5 wins from 6 matches (20 points), consolidating their position near the top. Worcestershire are 10th with 3 wins and 2 losses (12 points). A narrow defeat like this will sting – they were right in the contest until Raza fell.

Full scorecard on Statz