FRIENDS PROVIDENT t20, Uxbridge:
Gloucestershire 188-4 beat Middlesex 185-8 by six wickets
Match scorecard

Porterfield struck three sixes in his innings

Gloucestershire all but ended Middlesex's FP t20 quarter-final hopes with a six-wicket win at Uxbridge.

Middlesex opted to bat and, despite losing Aussie David Warner early, put on a strong total of 185-8.

Dawid Malan (86) and skipper Neil Dexter (38) did most of the damage to the Gloucestershire bowling.

However, Will Porterfield (64) and Aaron Redmond (20) struck 78 in seven overs to put the basement club in great shape to reach 188-4.

England bowler Steven Finn returned to county action for the first time since his success in the England-Bangladesh Test series. However, it was not a match the tall paceman would care to remember as he was smashed for 30 off just two overs.

The blistering speed of Ireland's Porterfield gave impetus to the Gloucestershire innings and, once he was run out by Tom Smith, James Franklin took over the big hitting, striking 51 not out in 37 balls.

Despite winning, Gloucestershire remain rooted to the foot of the table thanks to Kent's victory over Glamorgan.

Middlesex remain two points behind fourth-placed Hampshire but have a much more inferior run rate than the south coast side.

Gloucestershire batsman Will Porterfield told BBC Radio Bristol:
"It's pretty warm and you're putting in a few yards. People say it's a short game but you do put in a lot of miles out there in the field, running and diving around.

"We have to win every game but can't look too far ahead of Thursday. There's two big games coming up and they're not going to be easy.

"They are pretty intense games especially as we have to travel over to Chelmsford and back for a couple of home games."

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