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Gloucestershire set low target to reach Final

Gloucestershire were set a target of 149 runs to reach their first Twenty20 final after a failure by Lancashire all-rounder Andrew Flintoff in the first semi-final at Edgbaston.

Gloucestershire skipper Jon Lewis put Lancashire into bat and made the first breakthrough in his second over when Stuart Law (three) fell to a fine head-high catch at first slip by Craig Spearman.

Flintoff looked out of sorts and was fortunate when Alex Gidman spilled a head-high chance at mid-off off Lewis when he had made only a single.

But he failed to profit from his let-off and had managed to score only three off 10 balls when he was run out.

Flintoff turned Lewis to Spearman at third man and set off for a single but he was sent back by Brad Hodge and failed to make his ground before wicketkeeper Steve Adshead removed the bails.

Hodge looked in good touch and when on six joined Warwickshire skipper Darren Maddy in becoming only the second player to complete 1,000 runs in the competition.

He collected three boundaries in the space of four balls during one over from Carl Greenidge via an off drive, pull and a cut.

Hodge raced to 32 from 19 balls with six fours as the 50 came up in the sixth over.

But Mark Hardinges brought an end to his run spree in his first over as Hodge drilled a fierce drive straight to Hamish Marshall at extra cover to leave Lancashire on 52 for three.

It became 70 for four with the second run out of the innings. Gareth Cross (13) clipped the ball to square leg and was well beaten by Ben Edmondson's direct hit attempting a second run.

Hardinges was difficult to get away and was backed up by some excellent ground fielding.

He struck again in his final over when Lancashire skipper Mark Chilton (10) perished to a fine catch by Marshall running back from mid-wicket.

Steve Croft upped the tempo with four fours in Alex Gidman's first over.

But he was dismissed by another superb catch, this time by Adshead away to his right at full stretch off Greenidge at the start of his second spell.

A packed crowd had to wait until the 19th over for the first six of the innings via a hit over long off from Glenn Chapple who put on an unbeaten 30 off 23 balls with Dominic Cork as Lancashire reached 148 for six.

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