Somerset head coach Jason Kerr admitted "Gloucestershire were better than us" as his side's winning start to 2019 came to an end in Bristol on Sunday afternoon.

Gloucestershire ended their rivals' 100 per cent record in this season's Royal London One-Day Cup (and a six-game winning streak in all competitions since the start of the campaign) with a four-wicket win in a low-scoring contest.

The visitors posted 242-9 from their 50 overs after winning the toss, Lewis Gregory making 52 off 33 balls, while Benny Howell claimed 3-45 on a slow pitch.

In reply, Gloucestershire made 246-6, winning with four balls to spare; Graeme van Buuren top-scored with 61, while Miles Hammond made 48 and Jack Taylor 43 not out.

The result left the hosts with six points from five matches in the competition and Somerset eight from the same number of games.

Head coach Kerr said afterwards: "We have played so well this season up to now, but today Gloucestershire were better than us.

"I was happy enough with the target we set on that pitch and we should have defended it.

"But we didn't execute our skills with the ball at the end and it made the difference.

"You have to credit them [Gloucestershire] for the way they managed their innings after a slow start.

"We had a good look at the pitch before the game and decided it wasn't going to turn, which it didn't.

"That is why we didn't bring in a spinner and instead took the decision to go with the line-up which had done so well for us."

Having won the toss and opted to bat, Somerset scored only 32 runs from their first 10 overs, with Tom Banton (11) bowled by David Payne.

Peter Trego and James Hildreth fell for five runs apiece, leaving Somerset on 51-3.

The visitors reached 105-4 from their first 30 overs, Azhar Ali departing for 43, but skipper Tom Abell and George Bartlett added 55 runs before the latter was run out for 29.

Gregory announced his intentions with a six over long-on, and he later hit maximums of successive balls from Ryan Higgins.

Abell contributed 42 and Craig Overton 25no, but it was undoubtedly Gregory who looked most impressive with the bat, until he was caught by Chris Dent from the bowling of Howell.

Chasing 243 to win, Gloucestershire's reply got off to a bad start, as Overton showed quick reactions to run out Dent in the first over.

Gregory then stepped up with wickets off successive balls, removing Gareth Roderick (25) and Howell (0) to leave the hosts on 44-3.

Hammond and James Bracey (21) rebuilt, but when they fell to Tim Groenewald and Josh Davey, respectively, the home side were in trouble at 114-5 in the 31st over.

With 15 overs to go, Gloucestershire required another 115 runs (7.5 an over), but Van Buuren and Taylor stepped up and both struck sixes off Davey to boost the run rate.

Van Buuren moved to a fine half-century before miscuing Overton to Azhar, but the pair had added 83 in 14 overs.

Higgins (30no) then blasted sixes off Groenewald, the 46th over proving particularly expensive at 17 runs, and Somerset's fate was sealed.

Somerset will look to bounce back away to Middlesex this Wednesday (May 1, 11am start).