GLOUCESTERSHIRE seamer Matt Taylor joined a select band when he bowled a maiden at West Indies superstar Chris Gayle in last Friday’s NatWest T20 Blast derby victory against Somerset in Bristol.

And the county’s head coach Richard Dawson insisted it was merely the most eye-catching example of some impressive white-ball performances by the 21-year-old left-arm seamer.

Taylor, who grew up in the Cotswolds and came through Gloucestershire’s Academy ranks, has stepped out of the shadows of his elder brother Jack to become a regular in the team in recent weeks.

The maiden against Gayle came after he also made significant contributions to victories against Essex in the T20Blast and Hampshire in the Royal London One-Day Cup in the previous three days – and Taylor will head to the south coast this weekend as Gloucestershire play a double header against Hampshire today and Sussex in leafy Arundel tomorrow aiming to extend a run of four wins in their last five 20-over games.

“Matt’s done really well,” said Dawson. “He got injured last May, a stress fracture of the back, and missed the rest of the season. But since he got an opportunity in our white-ball team, he’s really taken that chance.

“The Gayle over was great but the night before that he’d bowled the 19th over against Essex at Chelmsford. James Foster was batting, who’s obviously an experienced and quality performer, but Matt was quality for a young lad, with the confidence and skill to use his slower balls.

“So he’s done in at the top of the order against Somerset, he’s bowled well in the powerplay, and also at the end of the innings.”

Jack Taylor has lost his place in Gloucestershire’s Blast team since he was banned from bowling by the ECB to do further work on his action, but he has underlined his value as a specialist batsman in four-day cricket this season and is set to return in the Specsavers County Championship match against Leicestershire which starts next Monday.

Gloucestershire and Leicestershire are exactly level in the Division Two table, with 93 points from seven matches – and Dawson agrees that the Foxes did his team a favour by beating the leaders Essex in Chelmsford earlier this week. It means both are only 14 points off the top with a game in hand.

“We’re even level on bonus points, with 23 batting points and 18 bowling points each,” he added. “They will be buzzing after that win at Essex, but we’ve been going well in all competitions ourselves. So it should be a really good game.”

Gloucestershire could have David Payne, another left-arm seamer, back in contention after injury.

They have a long wait before returning to Bristol, with their next home game at the Brightside Ground not until Wednesday week, July 6, against Blast high-fliers Surrey under the floodlights – when Dawson hopes to build on the feelgood factor so obvious in the thrilling win against Somerset.

“It was a really good intense atmosphere, which we all enjoyed,” said Dawson. “We’re all looking forward to getting back, but first we’ve got some important games on the road. Hopefully we can keep our momentum going.”