GLOUCESTERSHIRE started their CB40 campaign with a one-run defeat at home to group minnows Netherlands.

Trialist Benny Howell almost spared their blushes as he smashed 72 off 51 balls in a fine innings to take the game down to the last ball, but he could only manage a single leg bye.

Netherlands made 239-6 on a good batting wicket and Gloucestershire were always struggling to keep up with the required run rate before Howell shared 73 with Ian Cockbain (29).

Stephan Myburgh showed his intentions early on as he pulled Will Gidman for six off the second ball of the Netherlands innings and he took them past the 50 mark in the ninth over when hitting Paul Muchall straight over his head for six in his first over.

Gloucestershire’s cause wasn’t helped by errors in the field as Jonathan Batty missed an easy stumping from Ed Young when Michael Swart charged down the track before Cockbain dropped Myburgh on 51 at long on off Chris Dent’s bowling.

Ed Young finally made the breakthrough in the 14th over when he clean bowled Swart for 24 and Peter Borren made a brisk 15 before he hit one straight at Marshall off Dent to leave the Netherlands on 105-2.

Part-time bowler Dent finished with 2-42 when he tempted Myburgh to hit the ball in the air to long-on again, and this time Cockbain held on.

That halted the Netherlands’ progress and five overs later Ed Young returned to the attack to pick up his second wicket, trapping Cameron Borgass lbw for 38 as they were reduced to 167-4.

Spin continued to cause the Dutch problems as Tom Cooper (13) failed to connect properly with a sweep off Kane Williamson and Muchall did brilliantly to race in from deep square leg and dive forward to take the catch.

However, once seamers Ian Saxelby and Will Gidman returned to the attack the Netherlands increased the run rate again as Wesley Barresi and Mudassar Bukhari put on 58 for the sixth wicket.

Barresi was bowled in the final over when attempting an ambitious sweep off Saxelby, but Bukhari was unbeaten on 32 as the Netherlands closed their innings on 239-4.

Brothers Alex and Will Gidman opened the batting for the first time together for Gloucestershire and made a solid, if unspectacular, start before Will Gidman feathered one behind off Borren to Barresi to fall for 17 in the ninth over with the score on 33.

Chris Dent initially did a good job of upping the tempo and shared 59 with skipper Gidman before he was trapped lbw to a low one from Pieter Seelar for 36.

Gidman ended a wait of 13 overs for a Gloucestershire boundary as he sent a full toss through the covers for four but two balls later he was caught on the long-off boundary by Timm van der Gugten for 41.

Williamson then hit a full toss by Cooper down Tim Gruijter’s throat at long-on in the next over as Gloucestershire fell to 102-4.

When Hamish Marshall was caught by Cooper at deep mid-wicket for 20 off Swart in the 30th over, Gloucestershire were staring defeat in the face at 145-5, but the momentum began to swing the other way in the following over when Benny Howell hit two consecutive sixes off van der Gutgen.

Howell reached his half-century off 32 balls in the 34th over and was well supported by Cockbain (29), who then backed up too far when Howell hit the ball to Borren at mid-on and was run out.

Young then went first ball, giving Swart an easy catch at deep-midwicket off Seelar, who also clean bowled Muchall for a golden duck to leave Gloucestershire on 221-4.

Gloucestershire were left needing 13 off the last over and when Howell scored five of the first three and Jon Batty smashed Bukhari’s full toss for four the finish line was in sight.

However, Batty could only manage a single off the penultimate ball and Gloucestershire finished agonisingly short when Howell couldn’t get his bat on the final ball and it went for a single leg bye.

Gloucestershire play Middlesex at Lord's tomorrow.