LONDON, England, CMC – Kieron Pollard produced a typical robust all-round performance to fire English county Somerset to a solid six-wicket win over Gloucestershire and keep them on top of their group in the Friends Provident Twenty20 tournament on Friday.
Playing at Bristol, the 23-year-old grabbed three for 36 to help limit Gloucestershire to 152 for nine off 20 overs.

Alfonso Thomas (2-21) and Peter Trego (2-29) finished with two wickets apiece as Hamish Marshall top scored with 45 from 31 balls.

Pollard then returned to lash an aggressive, unbeaten 30 to guide Somerset to 156 for four with 19 balls remaining.

The right-hander slammed two fours and three sixes off just 12 balls as he dominated an unbroken 36-run, fifth wicket stand with James Hildreth (18 not out).

Somerset have now won 11 of their 15 matches and sit on top the South Group with 22 points,  ahead of Essex.

At the County Ground in Hove, discarded Barbados and West Indies pinch-hitter Dwayne Smith scored 25 from 16 balls but Sussex slumped to a five-wicket win over Essex with four balls to spare.

The right-handed Smith struck two fours and a six as Sussex, winning the toss and batting, piled up a strong 185 for four from their allotted overs.

He shared in a crucial 72-run, fourth wicket stand with Michael Yardy whose unbeaten 76 came from 51 balls and contained five fours and three sixes, while Murray Goodwin got a 31-ball 55.
However, England’s Alastair Cook hammered 63 from 44 balls and New Zealander Scott Styris banged an unbeaten 52 from 26 balls as Essex got home in relative comfort.