DURHAM sent a shockwave through the NatWest T20 Blast last night when they beat favourites Gloucestershire by 19 runs in the quarter-final at Bristol.

After scraping into the last eight, they will now go to only their second T20 finals day at Edgbaston on August 20, joining Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire and the winners of tonight's Glamorgan v Yorkshire game.

After Durham built on an opening stand of 96 to make a very competitive 180 for five, Gloucestershire's reply quickly foundered against the pace of Mark Wood, who began with a double wicket maiden, They stayed afloat after slipping to 62 for six with nine overs left only because of sensational hitting by Jack Taylor.

He was last out – the fourth run-out victim – with one over left after thrashing five sixes in making 80 off 40 balls.

He was helped by Paul Collingwood's gamble on bringing himself on to bowl at 112 for seven with five overs left. Having hardly bowled recently because of his injuries, he conceded 22 in five balls, two of which were no-balls.

Because they were above waist height he was not allowed to continue and had reason to be grateful for Scott Borthwick completing the over in tidy style.

Bowling the second over, Wood's pace seemed to surprise former New Zealand Test batsman Hamish Marshall, who miscued a pull to be caught by Keaton Jennings at square leg.

When Ian Cockbain lobbed a catch to the same fielder the hosts were six for two, but dangerman Michael Klinger responded by hitting Chris Rushworth for four, four, six in the fifth over.

The bowler immediately found some extra bounce and Michael Richardson continued his excellent match with a brilliant catch by his right ear standing up to the stumps.

With their big guns gone, it looked too tall an order for Gloucestershire. Graeme van Buuren drove to long-on in Borthwick's first over and a senseless run out left them on 50 for five after nine overs.

It seemed a hopeless position but Jack Taylor roused the fans with two sixes off a Borthwick over before a brilliant piece of fielding by Gordon Muchall ran out Tom Smith. His one-handed pick-up and direct hit from point epitomised Durham's performance.

Taylor went on finding the boundary, but he had little support and it ended when he and his brother, Matt, found themselves at the same end.

After Collingwood was passed fit and chose to bat, Mark Stoneman and Jennings gave Durham an outstanding start.

Stoneman made 61 off 41 balls before he was first out in the 11th over, after which Durham wobbled, slipping to 117 for three in the 14th before Richardson took a surprising hand.

Durham have persevered all season in the belief that he has the shots to score quickly and their faith was rewarded with three sixes in an innings of 37 off 21 balls.

Durham took only six runs off the first two overs but then accelerated nicely as Stoneman lifted left-arm seamer Matt Taylor for six and drove the next ball back over his head for four.

The over cost 14 and even when the competition's leading bowler, Benny Howell, came on for the sixth over they maintained the momentum.

Stoneman ran the medium pacer's first ball to third man for four as 12 came off the over, taking the total to 51 after the powerplay.

With Jack Taylor, the off-spinner who has had to remodel his action, coming into the action there were no boundaries for three overs.

But excellent running kept the score moving to 81 after ten, at which point Howell returned and saw his first two balls dispatched to the boundary by Jennings.

A single followed then Stoneman pulled Howell for six, only to hole out at long-on off the next ball.

Durham then sent in Jack Burnham in the absence of Calum MacLeod, star of the last group match. Although it has not been officially announced, MacLeod has been told his contract will not be renewed and he preferred to play for Scotland against UAE in Ayr, where it rained all day.

Jennings departed in the 13th over for 36 when he was bowled playing across the line against Australian paceman Andrew Tye, the former Chester-le-Street player.

There was a danger of the good start being wasted when Burnham, having made four off his first eight balls, drove left-arm spinner Tom Smith for six before being caught at long-on off the next ball.

That brought in Richardson to join Muchall and two overs later he stepped across to the off side and lifted Smith over square leg for six.

A more orthodox leg-side six followed and in the next over he drove Tye over the rope at long-on.

Off the first two balls of the final over Richardson drove Taylor to extra cover and Ryan Pringle holed out at long-off. Muchall dug out a yorker, then took a single, leaving Collingwood with two balls to face.

A superb reverse paddle off the first earned him four runs and he picked up two more off the last.

Durham would have wanted a few more than seven off that final over, but as it turned out they had more than enough.