Gloucestershire 212 for 4 (Bancroft 89*, Bracey 83) beat Kent 208 (Northeast 84, Williams 3-33, Charlesworth 3-42) by six wickets.

Cameron Bancroft and James Bracey scored half centuries as Gloucestershire beat Kent by six wickets in the Metro Bank One Day Cup at Bristol's Seat Unique Stadium.

Chasing 209 to win, Gloucestershire's openers staged a partnership of 148, Bancroft top-scoring with an unbeaten 89 and Bracey making 83 as the home side cruised to victory with 13.5 overs to spare.

Gloucestershire's success owed much to a superbly-disciplined performance in the field, seamers Will Williams and Luke Charlesworth returning figures of 3 for 33 and 3 for 42 respectively as Kent were dismissed for 208 in 48.4 overs. Sam Northeast top-scored with 84 and Ekansh Singh contributed 42, but the visitors never recovered from the loss of early wickets.

Gloucestershire's decision to field was backed up by disciplined spells from Williams and Charlesworth, these two bowling straight to remove Daniel Bell-Drummond and Ben Dawkins respectively as Kent slipped to 26-2. Change bowlers Aman Rao and Daz Ahmed then afforded few opportunities to drive as the seamers continued to exert a stranglehold, the latter bowling Harry Finch with a straight one.

Far from his fluent best, Northeast scarcely raised his bat in acknowledgment when registering a 79-ball half century as the visitors limped to 76-3 at halfway. When Chris Benjamin slashed at a widish delivery from Charlesworth and was brilliantly caught behind by the diving Bracey, Kent were 83-4 and under duress.

Gloucestershire bowled to their field effectively to keep boundaries to a minimum and Kent attempts to build momentum were undermined by the regular fall of wickets, Jaydn Denly slog-sweeping Ollie Price to Jack Taylor with the score 115-5.

Northeast and Singh targeted the spinners in a sixth-wicket alliance of 47 from 39 balls, but that was as good as it got for the visitors. Amon Rao's first List-A wicket was a meaningful one, Northeast driving straight to extra cover.

Striking the ball cleanly, Singh hit 3 sixes and 2 fours, only to fall to the returning Williams, who then accounted for Grant Stewart as the Kent tail fell away. Joey Evison succumbed to Charlesworth and Ahmed removed Matt Milnes to wrap up a stuttering innings inside the distance.

Needing to attack early on, Kent came up against Bracey in forthright mood, the Bristolian pulling Stewart over square for six to afford the innings crucial early momentum. With Bancroft adopting a supporting role, Bracey went to a 58-ball 50 with a straight-driven four at the expense of Stewart.

If Kent were relying on spin to turn the tide, they were sorely disappointed, Matt Parkinson's first four overs going for 39 as the opening partnership realised three figures inside 21 overs.

Content to wait for the bad ball, Bancroft raised his half century from 65 deliveries as the home side moved inexorably towards their target. Bracey fell immediately after the interval, pulling Singh to deep backward square, having accrued 8 fours and 4 sixes in a match-winning innings that spanned 82 balls.

Bancroft was still there at the end, having faced 98 deliveries, struck 10 fours and deployed all of his considerable experience to anchor the chase.