Rew’s Stunning 116* Fires Somerset Past Third-Placed Gloucestershire

Somerset won by 18 runs against Gloucestershire in match 58 of the T20 Blast 2026 at The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton. James Rew produced an extraordinary unbeaten 116 off 56 balls to propel Somerset to 194/7 before the bowlers held firm to defend the total. Despite a brilliant all-round display from D’Arcy Short (59 and 3/24) in a losing cause, Gloucestershire fell short at 176/7. Somerset climb to 10th (W3 L4, 12 points), while Gloucestershire remain 3rd (W5 L2, 20 points).

Somerset Innings: 194/7 (20 overs)

Gloucestershire won the toss and elected to bowl first, and their bowlers struck early. Tom Banton (9 off 9, 2 fours) was caught at 9/1 (1.3 overs), and Will Smeed (3 off 6) followed at 22/2 (3.3 overs). Tom Kohler-Cadmore (17 off 13, 3 fours) provided a brief spark but was caught at 47/3 (5.6 overs). Somerset were in deep trouble.

Enter James Rew. The 20-year-old played one of the innings of the tournament, unleashing an astonishing 116 not out from just 56 balls. Rew hammered 14 fours and 5 sixes at a strike rate of 207, carrying his bat through the entire innings from the fall of the first wicket onwards. His younger brother Thomas Rew (5 off 3) fell at 63/4 (7.4 overs), and Lewis Goldsworthy (8 off 7) departed at 98/5 (10.2 overs), but James Rew kept the scoreboard moving relentlessly.

Daniel Sams (3 off 5) was caught at 116/6 (12.1 overs), and Craig Overton (14 off 11, 1 six) was stumped at 163/7 (16.1 overs). But Rew found a willing partner in Josh Shaw (14* off 11, 1 six), the pair adding 31 unbroken for the eighth wicket to lift the total past 190.

D’Arcy Short was the standout Gloucestershire bowler with superb figures of 3/24 from four overs (economy 6.00). Marchant de Lange also impressed with 2/32 from four overs (economy 8.00), while Liam Scott took 2/49 from four overs. Daaryoush Ahmed went for 28 from two overs and Jack Taylor conceded 20 from one.

Gloucestershire Chase: 176/7 (20 overs)

D’Arcy Short continued his remarkable match with the bat, blazing 59 off 34 balls (8 fours, 3 sixes, SR 174) in an opening partnership with Miles Hammond that had Gloucestershire well in the hunt. The pair put on 79 before Short was caught at 79/1 (8.2 overs) – a dismissal that swung the match decisively.

Joe Phillips (6 off 4) fell quickly at 88/2 (9.3 overs), and Hammond (23 off 20, 1 four, 1 six) was caught at 90/3 (10.2 overs). Jack Taylor (3 off 6) was bowled at 97/4 (11.6 overs), and suddenly Gloucestershire needed 98 off 50 balls with just six wickets in hand.

Liam Scott (23 off 25) dug in but couldn’t score quickly enough, while Kamran Dhariwal (38 off 20, 2 fours, 3 sixes, SR 190) produced a thrilling cameo that briefly reignited Gloucestershire’s hopes. But wickets kept falling – James Bracey (7 off 3, 1 six) was caught at 161/6 (18.2 overs), and Dhariwal followed at 164/7 (18.6 overs). Graeme van Buuren (13* off 7) and Daaryoush Ahmed (1*) couldn’t close the gap, finishing on 176/7.

Riley Meredith was the star of the Somerset bowling attack with 3/30 from four overs (economy 7.50). Lewis Goldsworthy contributed an excellent 2/33 from four overs (economy 8.25), and Josh Shaw took 1/19 from two overs. Daniel Sams was expensive with 1/47 from four overs.

Statz MVP: D’Arcy Short – 168.26

D’Arcy Short earns the Statz MVP award with an exceptional match impact rating of 168.26 out of 100 – the highest rating of the evening across all matches. The Australian all-rounder scored 59 off 34 balls (8 fours, 3 sixes) and took 3/24 from four overs, dominating proceedings with both bat and ball despite ending on the losing side. The Statz rating calculates impact based on match context, and Short’s contribution was clearly the most impactful individual performance in this match. No official Man of the Match was named.

Top 5 Statz Ratings

1. D’Arcy Short – 168.26 – Stunning all-round display of 59 off 34 (8 fours, 3 sixes) and 3/24, but ended on the losing side.
2. James Rew – 133.42 – Sensational 116* off 56 (14 fours, 5 sixes, SR 207), carrying the Somerset innings single-handedly.
3. Riley Meredith – 74.90 – Three key wickets for 30 runs, breaking the spine of the Gloucestershire chase.
4. Lewis Goldsworthy – 69.51 – Excellent 2/33 bowling and chipped in with 8 batting for a solid all-round effort.
5. Kamran Dhariwal – 64.46 – Explosive 38 off 20 (2 fours, 3 sixes, SR 190) nearly pulled off the impossible in a late onslaught.

Turning Point

The dismissal of D’Arcy Short, caught at 79/1 (8.2 overs), was the moment the match turned. Short had been striking at 174 and looked set to chase down the target almost on his own. Once he fell, Gloucestershire lost Joe Phillips (88/2), Miles Hammond (90/3), and Jack Taylor (97/4) in quick succession – four wickets for 18 runs in 20 balls – and the required rate spiralled beyond reach.

Match Context

This was match 58 of 115 in the T20 Blast 2026. Somerset move to 10th (W3 L4, 12 points, NRR -0.385) and keep their qualification hopes alive in a tight mid-table. Gloucestershire remain 3rd (W5 L2, 20 points, NRR +0.778) despite the defeat, but their net run rate will have taken a hit. Somerset have now won seven of the last eleven T20 meetings between these West Country rivals.

View the full scorecard on Statz