Somerset have won 19 T20 matches against Gloucestershire, with their neighbours winning 16 - read into that what you will.

When batting first, as they will this evening, Somerset have won eight and lost four - with an average score of just over 165.

Gloucestershire have a 12-11 lead for wins when batting second.

Image source, Getty Images

Somerset’s defence of their crown got off to an underwhelming start, with defeats in two of their first three South Group fixtures before they hit their stride, hammering Hampshire by 63 runs.

That turned out to be the first of four straight victories for Lewis Gregory’s men, but they then lost to Gloucestershire – who claimed West Country honours for a second time after chasing down a 195 target for a penultimate-ball triumph at Taunton.

Somerset responded by winning their next three games to secure a quarter-final berth – although a 120-run walloping at the hands of Glamorgan left them in third place and having to travel in the knockout stage.

Tom Banton and Tom Kohler-Core’s century partnership at Wantage Road enabled the visitors to post a daunting 215-3 and, despite Northamptonshire Steelbacks’ valiant attempt to chase, they fell 17 short.

That secured a return to Edgbaston – and another match-winning partnership earlier today as James Rew and Sean Dickson smashed 144 from 98 balls to transform Somerset’s fortunes and overcome Surrey by six wickets.

Image source, Rex Features

For Gloucestershire, it is somewhat of a rags to riches tale.

Last season, their form was so poor that captain Jack Taylor resigned mid-way through the competition and they only won five out of 14 matches.

This season, new coach Mark Alleyne reappointed Taylor as skipper but they only won one of their first four games.

A rally saw a tie at Surrey and then four victories inthe next five games. Both derbies against Somerset were won with remarkable run chases, having looked beaten.

Two defeats followed to leave them playing knock-out cricket but they beat Glamorgan and Middlesex and when Essex lost at Hampshire on the final night of the group stage, the Glosters snuck through in fourth place on net run-rate.

Gloucestershire captain Jack Taylor wins the toss and chooses to bowl first - the same scenario that paid off for them against Sussex.

"It worked well for us in the semi-final so we'll try and put them under some pressure," he says.

Both teams are unchanged.

Somerset won the trophy chasing in 2005 but last year batted first and were bowled out for 145 - a total they successfully defended against Essex.

Somerset: Kohler-Core, Smeed, Abell, Rew, Dickson, Gregory (capt), Green, C Overton, Van der Merwe, Davey, Ball.

Gloucestershire: Bancroft, Hammond, Bracey, O Price, J Taylor (capt), Charlesworth, T Price, M Taylor, Shaw, Payne, Smith.

Ged Scott
BBC Sport at Edgbaston

Image source, Getty Images

Gloucestershire and Somerset have actually met in a limited-overs final before.

It was the 1999 Nat West Trophy final - at Lord's. And Gloucestershire were the winners, by 60 runs.

The Glosters have a man on duty at Edgbaston today who was actually playing that day - head coach Mark Alleyne.

He took 3-37, including two catches by Jack Russell which helped the then England wicketkeeper claim the man of the match award.

Will Alleyne's winning edge over their West Country rivals hold good 25 years on?

Image source, Rex Features

Last year’s final saw Somerset finally end a four-year trophy drought by winning the T20 title for the first time since 2005.

Somerset, sent in, were struggling before being rescued by Sean Dickson - as they were in the semi-final earlier today. He made 53 in 35 balls but Somerset were bowled out for only 145.

Essex were huge favourites and but couldn’t get a partnership together. Daniel Sams made 45 from 26 but Essex slipped to 107-8 before a diving catch from Tom Kohler-Core sealed the game for Somerset.

So, neighbouring counties will contest this season's T20 Blast final.

How do you see it going, Gloucestershire and Somerset fans?

Get in touch and let us know.

Thanks to Adam Lanigan and Gideon Brooks for their coverage of the two semi-finals.

It's time for Ben Kosky and Alex Winter to take charge of keeping you updated with events in the final between Somerset and Gloucestershire.

Let's hope it's a cracker.

Gloucestershire v Somerset. The West Country rivals going head-to-head in county cricket's biggest white-ball game.

It should be a corker.

We're giving you - and us - the opportunity to refuel and refresh but us again at 18:15 BST, perhaps with a glass of cider to hand.

See you then!

The games at Edgbaston weren't the only cricket semi-finals being played today.

In the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, the last domestic women's competition featuring regional teams, South East Stars and Sunrisers have won through against Southern Vipers and Northern Diamonds respectively.

The final takes place on 21 September at Leicester.

Our semi-final round-up is here.

In case you have only just ed us, the two semi-finals are done and it's going to be Somerset taking on Gloucestershire for the T20 Blast silverware, starting at 18:45 BST.

You can read how Somerset saw off the challenge of Surrey after being 7-3 early in their run-chase, by clicking here.

And our report on Gloucestershire's comfortable victory over Sussex can be found by clicking here.

Ian Randall
BBC Gloucestershire Sport

It's all set up. There will be a bit of an edge about this come quarter to seven.

It was a chastening defeat for Sussex, but captain Tymal Mills believes it has been a very positive T20 campaign for his side.

He told Sky Sports: "We were happy with the thought process (behind the toss), we thought runs on the board and try to squeeze them, but it didn't go to plan for ball one.

"It's a very disappointing finish, but hopefully we learn from this and come back stronger next year.

"We've made really good strides and a lot of players have improved really quickly. We've certainly made good progress and this shows what we can do."

Image source, Rex Features

Sussex were never in the hunt after a desperate powerplay at 35-4 left them behind the eight ball early.

After Gloucestershire's top order withstood the early barrage, the result was never in doubt.

David Payne's effort with the ball was superb – his four overs yielding just nine runs and bringing two wickets.

He seemed to be limping at the close of Glos bowling effort but insisted after he was fine.

Matt Taylor's 3-25 was equally damaging for Sussex.

A chase of just 106 needed early wickets if it was going to be derailed but breakthroughs did not come.

An easy eight-wicket win did.

It sets up a mouthwatering west country derby and a shot at a first pot in this competition for this Glos side.

Gloucestershire captain Jack Taylor speaking to Sky Sports said:

It feels awesome. We came here with a lot of excitement and we were clinical and executed what we wanted to do.

We kept taking wickets. We play on some slower wickets at Bristol and we've done well and we've been able to adapt.

The message before the quarter-finals was that we're not here to make the numbers up, we're good enough to win it.

Sussex at least have the consolation of promotion in the County Championship to aim at, but the manner of that defeat is going to hurt.

For Gloucestershire, though, today is the big show - can they repeat that performance and beat neighbours Somerset in the final and win the Blast for the first time?

Daniel Norcross
BBC Test Match Special commentator on BBC Sounds

A crunching victory by eight wickets, Sussex have been thrashed.

A West Country derby for the final.

GLOS WIN BY EIGHT WICKETSpublished at 17:01 British Summer Time 14 September 2024

17:01 BST 14 September 2024Breaking

Glos 109-2 v Sussex 106

Ollie Robinson with a clanger at long off spilling a steepler. Straight up from James Bracey but that should have been out.

And Bracey makes the most of it to put his side in the final with a big straight six to seal a bloodless eight-wicket win.

Ed Seabourne
BBC Radio Bristol

This is excellent news for the organisers.

The groundstaff can maybe do a bit of extra work on the pitch between the second semi-final and the final.