SKIPPER Alex Gidman believes Gloucestershire have improved in the shortest format of the game, even defeat against Essex tomorrow night will see them eliminated in the group stage of the Friends Provident T20 for a third year in a row, writes Rob Iles.

They kept their faint hopes of reaching the quarter-finals alive with their fifth victory over Middlesex in all competitions this season at Uxbridge on Sunday.

Gloucestershire remain rooted to the bottom of the South group, four points behind fourth-placed Hampshire, but could still reach the last eight if they win their three remaining games, and after three wins from the last four games in the competition Gidman has reason to be upbeat.

He said: “We are still in with a chance in the competition and whatever happens now I think we have improved as a Twenty20 side this season.”

The Gladiators appeared to be up against it when Middlesex scored 185-8, with Dawid Malan smashing 86 off just 44 balls, including five fours and six maximums.

Steve Kirby picked up 3-29, while Anthony Ireland also had favourable figures of 2-31 from four overs. Aaron Redmond (20) and Will Porterfield, who smashed 64 off 32 balls with seven fours and three sixes, put on 78 for the first wicket in seven overs.

James Franklin then scored 51 off 37 balls and found support from Chris Taylor (27) and Gidman (10*) to guide Gloucestershire to a six wicket win with four balls left.

“It was the start of our innings that made the difference,” said Gidman.

“Will was absolutely awesome and took their seamers apart.

“After doing so well in the power play overs we were always in a strong position and it was good to see us finish things off.”

The Gladiators travel to Chelmsford tomorrow (Thursday, 7pm) before a local derby against Somerset at Bristol on Friday (5.30pm) and a final home game against Surrey on Sunday (2.30pm).

FORMER England international Monty Panesar claimed match figures of 8-114, including a five-wicket haul in the second innings as Gloucestershire folded abysmally to 131 all out on their way to an eight wicket defeat against promotion rivals Sussex at Arundel.

Chris Taylor scored 89 to help the county get to 307 in the first innings but Sussex took a first innings lead by reaching 389, despite Vikram Banerjee’s 5-94.

Apart from Hamish Marshall, who scored 89 not out, no Gloucestershire batsman had an answer to Sussex’s bowling attack on the third day and Sussex reached 52-2 to record an easy victory.