County Championship Round 13 Gloucestershire v Derbyshire: September 10th 2023

 

 Preview

The last home game and a potential wooden-spoon decider, with Derbyshire just a point ahead, although with a game in hand. The return of Graeme van Buuren to strengthen the side, but Ed Middleton coming in because Zaman Akhtar is the latest bowler to fall and, although Matt Taylor was named in the XIII, there was never a realistic chance that he would be able to play.

With only a game against Sussex to come, this is the best chance of a maiden win after the disappointment of the Leicestershire game.

Day 1

Murky grey skies and the floodlights on, casting shadows dark enough to make an umpire twitchy about the light. Graeme van Buuren was back as captain and won the Toss, choosing to bat. He was not to know that the team would respond with arguably their best batting performance of the season.

Unlike the light, the batsmen made a bright start after two initial maidens from Sam Conners. Fifteen from a Pat Brown over, including two boundaries to Ben Charlesworth and a ball sprayed down leg for four byes certainly helped. After seven overs, the umpires took the players off and, with thunder around, the covers came on, rapidly followed by the first tarpaulins over the run-ups. 32-0, Charlesworth 18*, Dent 8*. Soon, heavy rain was falling, and the full square was being covered.

Back came the players after an early Lunch, with sunshine breaking through and altogether more attractive conditions for batting. Chris Dent brought up the fifty with a neat clip off his legs through Mid-Wicket. Pat Brown offered Chris Dent width and he crunched the ball through the Covers. Again, Chris Dent was looking set for a big innings: his First Class average of just 31.5 over the last 12 months has been well below his career average, This time he got to 41 before pushing at a ball outside off to Lewis Reece that was pouched comfortably behind. 80-1 in the twentieth over. And another nice-looking innings that failed to turn into a major score.

In came James Bracey and got off the mark with an edged boundary first ball. Lewis Reece, though, did not take long to despatch Ben Charlesworth, edging low to Second Slip. 85-2, Charlesworth too had done the hard work, but had fallen for 30. Up came the hundred in the twenty-fifth over with an elegant James Bracey push into the Covers while, at the other end, Ollie Price was reverse-sweeping the spinner whenever he could. Everyone was shaping nicely, but, so far, no one was going on to a major score. James Bracey pushed forward to Anuj Dal and heard an explosion of stumps and bails behind. It was a lovely delivery but, at 128-3, with Bracey out for 23, the innings was threatening, once again, to tail-off well short of 300. Ollie Price, though, was batting like a million dollars and Miles Hammond played some attractive shots to take the Shire to 161-3 at Tea: Price 41*, Hammond 13*.

Miles Hammond has passed fifty six times this season, but is yet to get a century, often perishing being aggressive but, when Watts gave him a ball in his zone, straight after Tea, he used his feet and hauled it far over Long Off for a towering six. Again, he played an attacking shot to the first ball of the next over, bowled by Pat Brown. The ball took a leading edge and went straight up, eventually being taken by the ‘keeper. 169-4, Miles Hammond 21 and a fourth batsman out after getting past twenty, without going on to a fifty. In came Graeme van Buuren who straight drove his first ball imperiously for four and, after an exchange of singles, despatched his third ball in the same fashion: 9 runs from his first 3 balls. In previous seasons, the batsmen have looked scared to play their shots; without wanting to use the “Baz” word, this season they have tended to go a little to the other extreme, losing wickets to aggressive shots when a little caution might have been better advised. Today, though, the score continued to rattle along at a healthy 4-an-over, mostly without excessive risks. Up came the Ollie Price 50 from 71 balls (8x4) and then the 200 in the 49^th over to a Cover Drive from Ollie that was hauled-in just short of the boundary.

Graeme van Buuren was proving a solid and aggressive foil, becoming the sixth batsman to reach 20 and doing it at a run-a-ball. Perhaps sensing the chance to make it count, the scoring slowed almost to nothing for about half an hour before Graeme van Buuren decided that he was ready. Mark Watt was pulled for four to bring up the fifty partnership. The first ball of his next over was slogged over Wide Mid-On for six. Quick singles were taken aggressively. Sam Conners replaced Watt and went for ten off his first over, straight driven by Ollie Price for one boundary and then crashed through Point by Graeme van Buuren for another. The 250 and first batting point came up at the start of the sixty-fifth over. This was intelligent batting of the kind that we have seen all too rarely this season. Alex Thomson overpitched and Graeme van Buuren hammered him over Long On for another six to reach his fifty (68 balls, 6x4, 2x6). Up came the century partnership in 146 balls. A sweep for four took Ollie to 90. Finally, yet another sweep for four took him to his century from 155 balls with 13x4. Then the reverse sweep came our to bring up the 300 and second batting point. Van Buuren almost Chinese Cut onto his stumps, but got three for it, then dabbed a more conventional boundary. Runs were flowing fast.

Four overs to go in the day, 317-4. Play for the Close? Ollie took a thick edge for one boundary, bringing up the 150 partnership in the process, then a lovely Square Cut for another, next ball. A single and Graeme van Buuren was back on strike. Anuj Dal pitched one on middle that hit the top of off and van Buuren was out for a superb 78 and the score read 325-5. Dal had produced two magnificent wicket-taking balls and, with just seven balls of the day left, added a third, as Zafar pushed at a wide ball that moved away from him a fraction and edged a very low catch behind. 332-6.

Out came Ed Middleton, on debut, but Ollie Price saw out the final over of the day, taking a single from the last delivery so that the debutant will not need to face the first ball tomorrow.

332-6 at the Close. A fine day for the Shire, who should add at least a third batting point tomorrow.

Day 2

A grey, overcast day. Ollie Price on 125*, but only the tail to support him. First priority, the 350 and the third batting point. The fourth batting point, though, would require both Ollie Price to go only a big hundred and someone from the tail to keep him company. A New Ball, just three overs old and 104 overs to bowl. Two, late wickets had slowed the Gloucestershire charge in the evening and set the pattern for the morning. However, after the first half of the day definitely went Derbyshire’s way, the second half swung right back towards the Shire, who ended the day with the advantage.

Ollie Price guided the second ball of the day down to Third Man for a boundary and Gloucestershire were up and running again. Unfortunately, he fell in the fifth over of the day. Anuj Dal reacted brilliantly, diving full length right in his follow-through to grab a very low caught and bowled. Price out for 132 (194 balls, 18x4) and 341-7. A guide through Third Man brought Ed Middleton a boundary and the 350 in the ninety-second over. Josh Shaw has shown that he can bat effectively when he puts his mind to it and took 15 from 5 deliveries, including a boundary clubbed through the Covers off Dal and a nice dab through Third Man. However, the sixth delivery of the sequence was hit back fairly hard to Sam Conners and caught sharply, very low, by the bowler. 366-8 and the 400 looking much further away. The runs kept coming, helter-skelter: a nice pull by Dom Goodman added another boundary behind square. A ball down leg clipped the pad and went for four leg byes, then Ed Middleton hit on the pad by Anuj Dal and, despite suspicions that it was going down the leg side, was given LBW and the score had subsided to 376-9. Before Luke Charlesworth could get to the crease it was raining and the players were taken off and, very rapidly, full covers were on. The delay was not long, but twelve overs were lost.

The innings finished very rapidly on the resumption, with Dom Goodman nicking Anuj Dal through to the wicket-keeper to end the innings on 377ao and finish on 6-69. The last six wickets had fallen for 61. Momentum had swung completely and Gloucestershire, with only three specialist seamers, needed wickets with the New Ball.

16-0 from 5 overs at Lunch, with one very loud Josh Shaw appeal for LBW being denied. Zafar Gohar straight into the attack after Lunch and aiming at the footmarks with a Slip and a Short Forward Square Leg, who rapidly became aware of the perils of his position, by being hit painfully on the leg. The batsmen progressed serenely, with no major alarms: that Josh Shaw was bowling with just a single Slip showed how much confidence there was that still new ball would take wickets. However, he was economical, with his seven overs around Lunch going for just 16. Up came the 50 in the 14th over with a slog-sweep that, once again, had Short Forward Square Leg thinking about his life insurance. Zafar’s response was a wonderful ball that turned inside the bat and just missed the stumps.

On came Luke Charlesworth to replace Shaw. He should have got Harry Came but, on 62-0, James Bracey missed a routine edge, with the ‘keeper slightly misjudging his dive. Came was then on 39. James Bracey has been so reliable this season that it was a real surprise to see him miss one. With Zafar being attacked, Ed Middleton was brought into the attack to bowl his leg spin, delivering a tidy first over that produced some turn. Not a bad start for the debutant. Luke Charlesworth saw another drop as Miles Hammond could not quite hold a hard cut from Lewis Reece, although it would have been a miraculous catch had it stuck. Then Ed Middleton pinned Lewis Reece, but the impact was outside the line, so the batsman survived. It could have been 66-3 but, instead, the scoreboard read 66-0.

After bowling five overs for ten runs, Ed Middleton’s sixth over was expensive as a full toss was hammered for four and then another overpitched ball went for a maximum. He was rested and replaced with Ollie Price who almost struck immediately as the ball was guided just short of Ben Charlesworth at Short Forward Square. In his second over the ball lobbed up to Slip but had just missed the inside edge on the way to the thighpad. However, with the hundred up, as well as the individual fifties of both openers, Graeme van Buuren had a real problem. 128-0 at Tea and that 377ao was looking smaller by the hour.

Finally, the wicket came. A full delivery from Luke Charlesworth. Harry Came played across it and was given LBW. 132-1 and Came out for 68. Still the score mounted. Finally, Dom Goodman bounced Lewis Reece, who hooked him straight down Zafar Gohar’s throat: 169-2. If one wicket had not brought two, at least both openers were out, and the lead was still 208. A third wicket then fell as Brooke Guest at the non-striker’s end hesitated over what should have been a sharp, but safe single and was runout – more like electroculted – by Miles Hammond’s direct throw from Point. Guest out for 15, 177-3 and the scoreboard looking rather healthier. Finally, the momentum was beginning to swing a little. Just after the 200 came up, Wayne Madsen tried to sweep Zafar and was given LBW to Zafar’s delight. 203-4, Madsen 11.

Another wicket and Gloucestershire would be thinking of a first innings lead. With increasing turn for the spinners, there was the encouragement of bowling last on the pitch. However, yet another mini-stand built up, this time between Leus du Plooy and Matthew Lamb. Up came the 250, but Zafar was definitely causing problems and first caught a leading edge that fell safe and then, ripped one across Lamb. Seven overs left in the day. The stand approaching fifty. Gloucestershire needing at least one wicket before the Close. Ed Middleton back, turned a leg break a long way and cut du Plooy in two: his pre-delivery routine, spinning catches from right hand to left even as he started his run, was mesmeric. He certainly seemed not to be overawed, trying different variations and bowling good line and length. With six overs to go, and Derbyshire looking to get to the Close with no further loss, Matthew Lamb went after Zafar Gohar and hit the ball straight to Chris Dent at Short Mid-Wicket. Not bright cricket. Thanks very much. Lamb out for 24, 252-5.

Slowly, the bowlers were working their way through the batting. And nightwatchman Sam Conners was in, with overs still to bowl before the Close, and a cluster of fielders around the bat. Zafar spun a ball across him. Conners apparently got a fine edge as he came forward. James Bracey took off the bails like lightning, everyone appealed to the Square Leg umpire and both umpires gave him out. In the end, the caught happened before the stumping, so was the one that went into the book. 255-6. 3 overs to go. An Ed Middleton delivery turned and climbed, James Bracey only half stopping it as it beat everything. Suddenly, every delivery was an event. A Zafar delivery turned and, this one kept low but was just about kept out. 261-6 at the Close. 116 behind. The New Ball approaching and not a lot of batting to come.

Increasing turn. Variable bounce. Batting will be getting very interesting on Day 4. If Gloucestershire can get a lead of 50 or 60 tomorrow, dare we hope?

Day 3:

A grey and wet morning. No play before Lunch, with a 13:10 start declared but conditions threatening as the start time arrived. With more time lost, Gloucestershire need to finish the Derbyshire innings quickly and set about building a lead for a declaration before the Close. 72 overs to bowl and the threat that the game could peter-out into a draw. What no one expected was the drama that would surround Ed Middleton’s maiden First Class wicket as rain wrecked the chances of a positive result.

Zafar and Middleton opening the attack. Leus Du Plooy taking an Off Stump guard to Ed Middleton, who could aim for the rough to the left hander, something that Zafar had to be careful with against the righthander because the new leg side wide rule meant that he had absolutely no margin for error: anything even marginally wide being called by the umpire. The first five overs produced a bit of everything: runs, false shots, and the occasional delivery of absolutely ripping turn. Du Plooy tucked a ball to leg to bring up an excellent 50 that was threatening to stop Gloucestershire’s victory ambitions in their tracks.

The New Ball was taken at 80 overs, with Josh Shaw sharing it with Zafar. In his first over he saw one ball turn big off straight and another that was edged, low, between the two Slips, neither of whom could reach it. Nine from Zafar’s over, but signs that batting was going to get no easier. In his fourth over with the New Ball, Zafar tried an arm ball that went straight through Anuj Dal and bowled him: Zafar 4-88, 292/7, 85 behind and into the tail. Could it be removed quickly?

The answer was, as it has been on other occasions, a resounding “no!” There were plenty of good deliveries, but enough loose ones that the score kept mounting and Gloucestershire’s potential lead and chances of making something happen with it, shrinking fast. Up came the 300 and Leus du Plooy was moving through the seventies and looking, quite obviously, for a century, while Alex Thomson kept him company ably. On came Ed Middleton and Dom Goodman, but the good balls kept missing both the stumps and the edge of the bat. Alex Thomson offered a very tough chance to Miles Hammond at Square Leg, but he could not quite hang on. To add insult to injury, the ball went for four. 336-7 and victory chances disappearing by the minute. Then Dom Goodman bounced Alex Thomson, who hooked. The ball lobbed up. Ollie Price took it and let out a loud cry of “YEEEEESSSS”, but it was judged to have hit the forearm. Goodman bounced him again in the same over and, this time, Thompson hooked it for four.

350 up in the 101^st over, then the fifty partnership and Derbyshire looking at a first innings lead themselves. Batting was looking as comfortable as at any time in the match. Worst still, the increasing threat of missing the third bowling point. Finally, Dom Goodman tried another short ball and Thomson hooked it straight down the throat of Miles Hammond. 357-8. Derbyshire now just 20 behind. In came the burly Watt, who got a short one first ball and, quite obviously, was discomforted by it, twisting out of the way in ungainly fashion. That led to a third, consecutive bouncer, a No Ball and an informal warning. However, when the ball is in Mark Watt’s half, he hits it… hard. Up came parity with a Mark Watt single. Then there was a very loud LBW appeal against du Plooy and, finally, another LBW appeal (hit well outside off) and the run that put Derbyshire ahead. Four overs to go to get that ninth wicket and Derbyshire looking at a fourth batting point.

Last over before Tea. Leus du Plooy charged down the track, but just about got an inside edge on the ball and saw it trickle far enough away from the waiting James Bracey to be safe. 388-8 at Tea. 2 overs left for bonus points and du Plooy on 97*.

Second ball after Tea, Du Plooy went for the big hit from Ollie Price and got just enough on it to clear Zafar and trickle over the boundary: that was his century, 151 balls, 13x4. With 4 balls left for the 110 overs, at 394-8, the umpires decided that the light was too bad to continue. With some spots of rain in the air, on came the covers and two tarpaulins.

16:30 re-start. Nine more overs lost. And the draw looking increasingly like the only possible result.

So, four more deliveries for points. No pressure Ed Middleton, but now would be a good moment for your maiden First Class wicket. Seven catches spun between his hands, plus an eighth as he ran in. A swing from Mark Watt. A Chinese cut and the ball squirted out behind him. Then a slashing square cut for 4. One ball left. Two runs or a wicket needed for points. More mesmeric tossing from hand to hand, including that final, small toss after he started his run. Had he hypnotised the batsman? Whatever the reason, Mark Watt charged down the pitch and missed. James Bracey dropped the ball, but the batsman was so far out of his ground that he had time to bend down, pick it up and whip off the bails, which, to his credit, he did in a lightning movement. Mark Watt stumped for 19. The third bowling bonus point. Ed Middleton’s maiden First Class wicket and what a bit of drama. Just reward for some fine and very brave bowling. And, of course, with dark shadows from the floodlights surrounding the players, the umpires took the players off again before the final batsman could come out. And back on came the covers. How’s that for drama?

And this time, down came the rain and on came the full covers. And this time it was terminal. Ed Middleton, your timing was IMPECABLE!

Day 4

With so much time lost to rain, the Derbyshire tail wagging furiously, and only 96 overs to bowl, only some very bad cricket could produce a result. So, in all probability this would be a matter of seeing out time before the 5 o’clock handshake. The first order of business was to finish the Derbyshire innings and limit their lead because, if it grew much more, Derbyshire might just have sneaking thoughts of the possibilities of bowling out Gloucestershire quickly. What no one anticipated was that, for much of the afternoon, a Derbyshire win would look like a good each-way bet.

The weather, friendlier. Zafar and Ed Middleton with the ball. Leus du Plooy added one boundary, coming down the pitch to Ed Middleton to hit him over Long On and bring up the 400 before Zafar got a full over at the #11 and ended the innings with a straight one that hit right in front. 403ao. Zafar a thoroughly deserved 5-for. A Derbyshire lead of 26.

After a very quiet start, Gloucestershire started to up the run rate, taking the lead in the tenth over. Once that formality was dealt with, Chris Dent launched Mark Watt for a six back over his head, followed, more unexpectedly, with a reverse sweep for four straight out of the Ollie Price playbook. The 50 came up in the 14^th over, with the batsmen clearly seeking to play their shots and get the scoreboard moving and Derbyshire keeping close fielders up and not adding boundary riders when Chris Dent started playing some big shots. There was just a hint that maybe there might be an attempt to set a target: maybe 100 ahead at Lunch and a push for quick runs after. It never looked really likely and, some quiet overs and the fall of Ben Charlesworth, bowled by Mark Watt attempting the reverse sweep (68-1, Charlesworth 28) saw the run rate plummet back down again. With Lunch approaching and the lead still under 50, any thoughts of a result seemed condemned to be dismissed as wishful thinking. Then, last ball before Lunch, James Bracey pushed forward to Alex Thomson and was caught at Slip for 8. 83-2, the lead 57, 63 overs left and Derbyshire maybe eyeing an opportunity.

That opportunity got rapidly bigger as, just four balls later, Mark Watt found big turn out of the footmarks to bowl Chris Dent for 38. 83-3, the lead 61, and Derbyshire definitely now getting interested. What could Ollie Price and Miles Hammond do? When Miles Hammond edged Alex Thomson very low to Harry Came at Silly Point it was 104-4, with the lead just 78 and not much batting left to come. It soon got worse still. Ollie Price tried a reverse sweep, the ball lobbed up from a top edge, cannoned off the wicket-keeper’s chest or shoulder and was caught at a very short Square Leg. 111-5, effectively 85-5. If a not particularly difficult catch behind the wicket had been taken soon after, the situation would have been even worse. As it was, after one successful sweep for a boundary, Zafar tried another to the next ball from Alex Thomson and was taken at Deep Square Leg. 131-6, the lead 105 and 43 overs left, Graeme van Buuren on 11* at the other end and his side getting close to deep trouble.

In these situations, scoring runs is as important as conserving wickets. Twelve came off an Alex Thomson over as both batsmen scored boundaries. 124 the lead and 41 overs to go. Would 30 more runs be enough? Derbyshire tried a burst of pace with Pat Brown, who Ed Middleton took for a lovely, driven boundary. 159-6, 133 ahead, 37 overs to go and Middleton more than holding his own. 169-6 at Tea. 143 the lead. 32 overs to go. Graeme van Buuren, 23*, Ed Middleton 26*. The match almost safe, but then, it never should have been in danger.

After Tea, the batsmen started to add quick runs as if chasing a declaration! In reality, with the overs counting down, every boundary made the prospect of a Derbyshire run case more unlikely, even if the last four wickets went down extremely quickly. With 22 overs available to bat, the lead was 170 and getting towards being a fair T20 chase. Up came the 200 with an edge through the slips. By now the body language was saying that Derbyshire had given up on this one and, finally, with just 16 over left, the captains shook on the draw.

Gloucestershire finished on 208/6d, with Graeme van Buuren 48* and Ed Middleton, 39* and showing himself to be a good man in a crisis. And the sad fact remained that Gloucestershire ended up fighting for a draw in a match in which, after two days, they looked a fair bet for a win.

With just one match left and a point behind Derbyshire, who have a game in hand, as do Yorkshire, the wooden spoon looks an all too real possibility.

County Championship Round 12 Leicestershire v Gloucestershire, 3rd September 2023

 

 

Preview

A rapid return to Leicester, scene of Gloucestershire’s disappointing One Day Cup defeat. It is not beside the point that both sides that batted first in the Semi-Finals struggled and lost in short games.

Today, the only thing left to play for is some pride and to avoid the wooden spoon, with Yorkshire, despite their huge points deduction, determined to get back into the promotion race. With just three games left, Gloucestershire’s opportunities to register a win are running out. The XIII includes several players who have impressed in the One Day Cup but features a heavily depleted attack that few would have predicted at the start of the season.

Day 1

Leicestershire won the Toss and, unsurprisingly, seeing the green in the pitch, elected to put Gloucestershire in, with the 10:30 start likely to favour the seamers, even if the forecast for increasingly hot and dry weather suggested that Zafar Gohar might have an important part to play in the second innings. The suggestion was that the morning session might be tricky but, if the batsmen could get through it, there were runs to be made later in the day. If only cricket were played on paper! The reality would be so different.

Jack Taylor and Joe Phillips missed out, with Harry Tector making a debut and the Shire fielding five front-line bowlers, plus the more than useful part-time options of Ben Charlesworth and Ollie Price.

Bright sunshine and a steady start from Ben Charlesworth and Chris Dent who were 16-0 from the first six overs and looking comfortable, even though some deliveries were moving prodigiously. Ben Charlesworth was the main aggressor, taking three boundaries off a Wiaan Mulder over. Leicestershire replaced Mulder with Tom Scriven to join, first the economical Chris Wright in the attack and, later, Matt Salisbury. A scoring rate that had reached 5-an-over was braked immediately with 16 dot balls. Tom Scriven then produced a superb delivery that just hit the top of the off bail and saw Ben Charlesworth on his way for 32: 49-1 and some of the gloss taken off the bright start. That Tom Scriven wicket maiden marked the third consecutive maiden and, suddenly, batting was looking complicated. It was a relief when Chris Dent cut a ball through the covers for four to bring up the 50 in the 15^th over. Obviously, he enjoyed the shot as he then pulled another to the short Mid-wicket boundary later in the over. However, the brake was applied so effectively, that Tom Scriven’s first six overs produced just two singles as the occasional ball kept very low, while others moved prodigiously off the pitch.

49-1 from 10.3 overs became 73-1 from 30 at Lunch. The Chris Dent-Ollie Price partnership had produced 24 runs from exactly 100 balls. Since the quick start, just 24 runs had come in 19.3 overs of hard battle. However, it was grafting that could pay-off big later, if the batsmen could continue to hang in there. Unfortunately, they could not.

Ollie Price did not last long after Lunch, bowled playing studiously forward to Wiaan Mulder in the sixth over after the resumption: 77-2, Price 11. Miles Hammond then played across a ball from Mulder that kept very low: 93-3 and, with Zafar to come in at 7, Gloucestershire in all too familiar trouble. Finally, Chris Dent cracked a cover drive for four to bring up the hundred with the last ball of the forty-fourth over and take his own score onto 47. He brought up his fifty from 138 balls with another, lovely cover drive in the forty-sixth over. Chris Dent had little chance to celebrate: Tom Scriven straightened one into him that missed his defensive push and had him plumb. 108-4 in the forty-eighth and the last recognised pair at the crease and another wicket maiden for Tom Scriven. That rapidly became 109-5 as James Bracey, having just changed to a leg stump guard, chose to leave the wrong ball and, again, the ball just clipped the off bail. It could have been even worse because Zafar must have been very, very close to being LBW first ball. Even so, the reprieve did not last long. Zafar came down the track a little to Sciven, played an impeccable forward defensive that caught the edge and gave Ben Cox his first catch behind on his debut. 120-6 and all the hard work before Lunch being undone. Josh Shaw then edged his second ball but, to his relief, it was dropped at First Slip.

Shaw and Tector battled out almost nine overs before Josh Shaw was given LBW to Umar Amin. 143-7 and the innings sinking fast, 145-7 at Tea and an afternoon of toil to follow the good morning.

The good ship SS Gloucestershire continued to take on water after the resumption and rapidly sunk beneath the Leicester waves,

Chris Wright got Harry Tector LBW for 18. 148-8. Zaman Akhter got a ball that lifted a little that he could only balloon to Second Slip, running backwards to take it. 158-9. And Luke Charlesworth got another straight ball that seemed to keep very low and was LBW. 159ao.

77-1 just after Lunch seemed a long time before.

With David Payne, Tom Price, Matt Taylor, Ajeet Dale and Marchant de Lange on the books, you would have got long odds at the start of the season against Josh Shaw and Zaman Akhter sharing the New Ball. Zaman Akhter was expensive, but Josh Shaw put a superb delivery through Sol Budinger to bowl him and make the score 16-1 after 3.2 overs. However, Hill and Patel scored quickly and were putting Leicestershire in a very powerful position when Dom Goodman got a ball just outside off to lift a little and take the edge of Hills’ bat: 71-2, Lewis Hill 21. Even so, with the game moving into the final half hour of the day, Gloucestershire’s position was getting critical, with quick wickets needed. Up came the 100 in the 21^st over with the batsmen now playing for the Close.

A chastening day. 103-2 from 24 overs, with Rishi Patel 60* and Colin Ackermann 4*. Just 56 behind and the game in danger of sailing away from Gloucestershire on Day 2 as Leicestershire continue to chase promotion.

 Day 2:

Day 2 ended with Gloucestershire staring down the barrel. That much was not so unexpected, but the manner of getting there was. A collapse after a stirring fightback has left a three-day defeat almost certain unless something remarkable happens, but there was an unexpected twist at the end of the day that has opened a ray of hope. Yes, it’s the hope that kills.

Bright sunshine again to greet the players. Dom Goodman and Josh Shaw with the ball and in desperate need of early wickets. Josh Shaw, in his unexpected role as leader of the attack initially kept things mean and tight (his first ten overs in the innings went for just thirteen runs), although Dom Goodman took a couple of overs to get into a rhythm. However, quick wickets did not come, and Leicestershire were creeping ever-nearer to a first innings lead. Two boundaries from an over in which Shaw seemed to try to push a little too hard, losing his line and length, took the score to 131-2, which provided a sizeable headache for James Bracey. This has been an issue with Josh Shaw. He has bowled some excellent spells, without much reward but, when he pushes for that little bit of extra pace that he needs to discomfort batsmen rather than just contain them, he can often prove expensive.

The breakthrough came, finally, at 150-2 and, to no one’s great surprise, through the hand of Ollie Price, in his role as Second Slip. Colin Ackerman drove at a ball on fifth stump line from Zaman Akhter and edged. The ball flew very fast to the right of Ollie Price who, somehow, took it one-handed, leaping like a salmon, to hold a chance that would have been chest-high for Third Slip. Remarkable.

In the following over, Luke Charlesworth removed the other set batsman to take his maiden First Class wicket. Some nice movement away from the bat, Rishi Patel edged, and brother Ben pouched the catch at First Slip. Not many maiden First Class wickets are caught by the bowler’s brother. Patel out for 73, 150-4 and two new batsmen at the crease. An opportunity has presented itself for the Shire to limit the damage. Umar Amin then edged a big drive at Zaman Akhter and Ollie Price took a simple catch. 150-5. Three wickets in 11 balls for no runs and, suddenly, the complexion of the game had changed completely.

In the past, Gloucestershire have had problems consolidating breakthroughs. As Mulder and Kimber took Leicestershire into the lead and threatened to build again that thought must have been in the back of their minds. There was a frustrating Josh Shaw over that went for eleven, including overthrows, which could so easily have been a runout and two boundaries, as well as an edge that could have floated up to James Bracey rather than falling just safe, seemed to auger ill tidings: that bit of luck was missing. However, Dom Goodman then produced a superb delivery that bowled Louis Kimber neck and crop. 178-6 with Lunch just an over away.

183-6 at the break and the lead just 24. Leicestershire were still thinking that a 100+ lead was quite possible. They could not imagine that it would go as horribly wrong for them as it had, twenty-four hours earlier for Gloucestershire.

Ben Cox and Wiaan Mulder started well. Thirteen came from fifteen balls after Lunch before Luke Charlesworth bowled a straight one that only got up half stump height and evaded Ben Cox’s studious defensive shot, thudding into the pad. That was 191-7 and Luke Charlesworth’s debut was getting better and better. Mulder and Scriven brought up the 200 and seemed set on making hay. Zaman Akhter gave Mulder a short ball, which he hooked… straight down the throat of the jubilant Luke Charlesworth at Fine Leg. 203-8. In came Chris Wright, whose innings was the shortest possible. Another batsman bowled playing an immaculate forward defensive and, again, the suspicion that the ball had kept low.

Zaman Akhtar on a hat-trick but, first, another over for Luke Charlesworth with a number 11 who could boast just one run in his four innings through the season in his sights. To everyone’s surprise, Scriven took a single from the first ball of the over and gave the bowler five deliveries at the rabbit: it took him four before James Bracey brought off a splendid flying catch. 203ao. The lead 45.

Eight wickets had fallen for 54, in an eerie echo of the Gloucestershire innings.

What could Gloucestershire do about it? Their start could not have been much worse. Chris Dent batted 21 balls for 9 before chopping on to Chris Wright. 9-1. Ollie Price lasted eight balls before the ninth just clipped the off bail. 10-2 and Ben Charlesworth had not yet scored.

From this highly unpromising position, Ben Charlesworth consolidated, while Miles Hammond took up the attack, albeit with some fortune. There was nothing wrong, though, with his Cover Drive to level the scores, while Ben Charlesworth stroked another to put the Shire into the lead. This stroke seemed to galvanise him: from 7* from 46 balls he moved up a gear and caught Miles Hammond who was scoring at better than a run-a-ball. A one-bounce four over the bowler’s head was a warning that he felt that he eye was in but, just as he seemed set for a big score, he tried to come down the pitch again to Colin Ackermann, skewed a big outside edge and was caught at Mid-Off for 33. 80-3 and, again, after an excellent partnership of 70, the Shire in need of someone to go on and make a start count.

A single from a Cover Drive by Miles Hammond brought up the fifty lead. And off they went for Tea at 95-3, Miles Hammond 40*, Harry Tector 10*.

When you are 80-2, 35 ahead and fighting hard a few minutes before Tea, you should not be thinking of the opposition batting before the Close. Sadly, it looked all too likely as the middle and lower order crumbled, even if some late resistance took the innings into the third morning.

Miles Hammond’s best innings tend to be when he goes for his shots. Having been scoring at better than a run-a-ball, he went into his shell and made just 9 runs from 37 balls after the dismissal of Ben Charlesworth. The end was predictable. He became yet another batsman to miss a straight ball, was hit low on the back pad by Wiaan Mulder and departed LBW for 46. 108-4 and the options to set a reasonable target were running out. Harry Tector has shaped up well, without making the weight of runs that he might have. Again, he got set and looked solid before playing across the line to Chris Wright and falling LBW for 24. 122-5, the lead just 77 and Zafar Gohar coming out. Now, everything rested on James Bracey who had received a run transfusion in the One Day Cup. Could he turn it into Championship runs? A brace of boundaries from a Wiaan Mulder over – a guide through Third Man and a stroked Cover Drive – suggested that he could. The lead was creeping up towards one hundred. Thirty or forty more from this pair and, in a low-scoring match, would give something to defend if someone could shepherd the tail to fiddle a few more. James Bracey was looking in decent form and Zafar was defending with his life.

On came the drinks. Did that break the concentration of the batsmen? First ball after the break, James Bracey fenced at Scriven outside off and Ben Cox took an excellent, low catch. Bracey out for 18, 138-6 and plenty of overs left in the day to finish off the tail. Zafar did not last long, falling after an uncharacteristic, totally defensive innings. 143-7. Josh Shaw did not hang around for long either. Another fence outside off. Another low catch to Ben Cox. 146-8. With 8 overs still to come, it looked very much as if Leicestershire would be facing two or three overs.

Fortunately, Zaman Akhtar and Dom Goodman had other ideas. Zaman Akhtar opened his account with a huge six back over Colin Ackermann’s head. Colin Wright came back, and Zaman creamed him through the covers. In the penultimate over of the day, Dom Goodman got a loose ball outside leg and showed that he too could hit the ball if it was there to hit, hammering it for another boundary backwards of square. Last over of the day. The lead 132. For heaven’s sake, don’t get out now! Zaman took the over and, with some frustration showing in the bowlers, saw it out, adding a couple for another Cover Drive that belied his status as a tail-ender.

179-8 at the Close. 33 precious runs added and, what was even more important, the feel-good factor of knowing that the bowlers were getting frustrated. The lead 134. Defeat still looks more than likely, but twenty more runs might just make it interesting.

Either way, the game will end tomorrow, probably mid-afternoon.

 Day 3:

The mathematics looked simple. Leicestershire needed two wickets to set up a small chase. Gloucestershire needed a miracle. In the end, Leicestershire won very comfortably indeed, but arrived at the win by an unexpectedly scenic route.

The hosts opened with spin from Kimber and Ackerman. Given how tough it had been to score off the seamers, Zaman Akhter and Dom Goodman were not complaining, as ten came off the second over of the day courtesy of a Zaman boundary and four byes that beat everything. Dom Goodman lofted Ackermann back over his head for four and the lead passed 150. Up came the 50 partnership and then the 200 with a single to Akhter. Leicestershire’s frustration was only increasing as they brought back the quicks to try and break this stand. Finally, Dom Goodman got an inside edge to Wiaan Mulder after another battling knock that suggests that he may start moving up the order sooner or later. 200-9, Goodman out for 15 and, surely, that was that? Zaman has other ideas, cover-driving Mulder for another boundary. Zaman trusted Luke Charlesworth to look after himself and the pair took a lot of singles, pushing the ball into gaps. Finally, Wiaan Mulder bowled a straight one that Luke Charlesworth missed. After a long delay, the umpire raised the finger. 212ao. 167 the lead. Far more than had looked likely in the evening session.

Defending 167, Josh Shaw opened with just two Slips, with James Bracey, conscious that saving runs was just as important as taking wickets, having a lot of fielders in run-saving positions. In just the third over, Josh Shaw served-up a ball outside off that moved away a little. Rishi Patel went for the drive and James Bracey took the catch. 4-1. Dare one hope? In Shaw’s second over, Sol Budinger aimed a slash outside off and James Bracey took a low catch that just carried. 7-2. And an awful shot from Budinger. In this situation, you do not want a pair to get set and could not afford to give up cheap runs. Unfortunately, both were happening. Luke Charlesworth struggled a bit with line and length and gave up three boundaries in an over: 42/2 and the batsmen getting right on top again. In retrospect, that was probably the moment when Leicestershire knew that they were going to win the match. A savage pull by Ackermann, a guide through Third Man and two more boundaries from the next over, bowled by Akhter brought up the 50: a third boundary in the over made it 6 boundaries in just 11 deliveries. Defending a small total, that was too many. Up came the 50 partnership with another boundary and the life was being squeezed out of the bowlers and the bowling.

The last over before Lunch leaked another 11 runs, Zaman being cut for two boundaries. It was not a good way to end the session. The target was under 100, the bowling was looking defeated, and this was looking uncannily like the Leicestershire first innings in which a big third wicket partnership marked the difference between the two sides. Luck had played its part: Lewis Hill had inside-edged a ball from Dom Goodman that missed the Leg Stump by a whisker but once set, batting was looking quite simple.

Josh Shaw with the ball after Lunch, having taken 2-10 from 5 overs in his New Ball spell, and the feeling that this was a last throw of the dice. And if the news on the field was not great, the news that Harry Tector had a broken finger and would join the casualty list did not help to raise spirits either.

At the other end, Zafar Gohar who, unusually for him, had been an anonymous presence in the match. A delivery way down leg, helped on its way by Colin Ackermann and not much that substitute, Jack Taylor, could do to stop another boundary. Shaw huffed and puffed (literally). Zafar seemed to be missing his metronomic accuracy and runs kept coming, albeit a little more slowly.

It was all too easy. Up came the fifty partnership. Ackermann hooked Josh Shaw and the ball went straight through the hands of the boundary fielder (no names, no pack drill). The next ball was cut for another boundary. Lewis Hill swept Zafar, top-edged, but the ball fell short of Jack Taylor. Ackermann swept, missed, the ball missed leg stump by a whisker and the umpire gave it as a wide to bring up the 100… Heads were dropping visibly because that little bit of luck that was needed was missing.

The hundred partnership came up with both batsmen on 49*. Another single and Lewis Hill had his 50 (74 balls, 8x4). Another legside wide from the suffering Zafar who must have found this new interpretation of the law somewhat incomprehensible, and then Colin Ackermann got the single to bring up his 50 (84 balls, 8x4). If that were not enough, with the overrate at -2, there was the threat of losing two of the three points from the match unless it could be rectified.

On came Ollie Price and Colin Ackermann came down the pitch to meet him and loft him over Long On for a huge 6. The 150 up and fewer than 15 to get. Next ball cut for a boundary to take him to 86*. Seven to win. Three singles and Colin Ackermann patted a ball gently to Mid On where another horrible misfield allowed it through to the boundary for the winning runs. It was all too easy in the end.

In the end, Gloucestershire were well beaten and now look certain to go winless through a season that started with such high hopes.

 

 

 

 

One Day Cup Semi-Final Leicestershire v Gloucestershire, 29/08/2023

A season that started promisingly, with Gloucestershire taking their unbeaten Championship run to eight games, nosed-dived with four defeats in the next six games. The Blast was, not unexpectedly for a side short on big names and injury-crippled, mediocre but, the One Day Cup looked to many, pre-season to be the best chance of success given that the Hundred levels the playing field between the richer and the poorer of the counties. Even there, after two opening wins, two heavy defeats made qualification very much an uphill battle. However, four straight wins and then a thumping win over Lancashire, with fine form shown, particularly by Ollie Price (553 runs make him the third highest scorer in the competition), backed up by a James Bracey double century, two centuries from Jack Taylor (who seems to thrive in this competition) and centuries from Miles Hammond, Graeme van Buuren and Ben Wells have seen Gloucestershire through to a Semi-Final and a real chance of their first silverware since 2015.

However, it was not to be although, at one point, it looked as if Gloucestershire might be able to defend a small total.

Five players were side-lined by injury, but David Payne bowled with some success against Lancashire, the first occasion that he has been asked to bowl more than four overs this season and again has shown some encouraging form. So, the squad was the same as against Lancashire. The main question may be one of whether or not to go with the same XI, or to include Zafar Gohar. In the end, Zafar missed out.

With Warwickshire only able to offer token resistance in the first Semi-Final, a Final against Hampshire beckoned. What no one reckoned with, though, was that after Lewis Hill won the Toss and inserted in gloomy conditions, Gloucestershire would stutter to 125ao on a day when batting rarely easy, particularly against the New Ball. The only time when batting looked reasonably straightforward was when the seam had flattened.

James Bracey, Ollie, and Tom Price all got starts, but only Graeme van Buuren would threaten to make a significant score. When he fell at 124-9, any faint hopes of a competitive total disappeared with him. The damage had been done in the first five overs. With Gloucestershire 23-3 and Milles Hammond, James Bracey, and Harry Tector all back in the pavilion, someone had to do something special to save the situation.

In these situations, Ollie Price has usually been the man that Gloucestershire have looked to. He batted sensibly with Graeme van Buuren and, together, they seemed to be stabilising the innings before he went for a big hit over Mid-On, top-edged Josh Hull horribly and Wiaan Mulder took the catch when the ball finally came back down. That was 62-4, which rapidly became 63-5. Jack Taylor was close to edging an expansive drive to the ‘keeper second ball, lobbed a top edge just safe and then, finally, was comprehensively bowled by Matt Salisbury to his sixth delivery. Batting was tough.

Tom Price and Graeme van Buuren tried to rescue the situation, but a stand of 36 was just not enough. At 99-6 it was just a question of scratching what runs could be found and hoping for a miracle. Unfortunately, the tail failed to wag, and the last five wickets added just 26 runs. Graeme van Buuren fell to a catch behind attacking a wide ball and Paul van Meekeren attempted a ramp shot, toe-ended to Third Man. As the players came off, the rain came down and an hour and three-quarters were lost.

Defending 125, you need a devastating start. David Payne and Tom Price provided one. Leicestershire were 13-3 in the fourth over with Ollie Price taking two catches off David Payne and one off Tom Price. When Anwar Ali pinned Colin Ackermann LBW, Leicestershire had fallen to 33-4 at the end of the twelfth over and in real danger of falling short. Gloucestershire were one wicket short of causing panic, but that wicket never came. There were multiple close shouts that could have put Leicestershire under real pressure but, as the shine came off the ball and the seam flattened, batting got easier than it had been at any time. Peter Hanscomb and Wiaan Mulder saw off the storm and, as they joined together in a stand of 93, ended up reaching the target with minimum fuss and more than 21 overs to spare.

For Gloucestershire it was a case of so near and yet so far. However, the campaign has provided many positives and has left batsmen who were short of runs and confidence in better heart for the Championship run-in.  

County Championship Round 9: Durham v Gloucestershire

  

County Championship Round 9

Durham v Gloucestershire

Preview

With just five games left after this one, Gloucestershire take on the toughest challenge by far of the season, playing runaway leaders, Durham, at the beautiful Chester-le-Street ground.

Although they are only thirty-five points away from the promotion places, a gap that would close rapidly with a couple of wins, the fact that the team immediately above, 8 points ahead, in 7^th (Yorkshire) and Derbyshire, 9 points behind, in 9^th, both have a game in hand makes the wooden spoon a far more immediate prospect than challenging at the top of the table.

The side takes on Durham knowing that Marcus Harris, who has not been needed yet by Australia, will not return after the Ashes as he has to return to Australia for family reasons when the series ends.

Meanwhile, the injury crisis that has been a permanent feature of recent seasons means a substantial change of personnel for this game.

Graeme van Buuren strained his side against Hampshire in the Blast and so James Bracey will lead the team again. Tom Price, who has not looked fully fit in the last two games, has some stiffness in the back: officially, he is rested but, in practice the aim is to have him fully fit and available to play the two games at Cheltenham. Ajeet Dale continues to have problems with his knee and David Payne is still being nursed slowly back after his ankle surgery.

Finally, Joe Phillips returns to the 2^nd XI. Bowlers, Dom Goodman, and Paul van Meekeren are added to the squad, with Jack Taylor replacing Graeme van Buuren.

Probably Paul van Meekeren and either Josh Shaw or Dom Goodman will be the players to miss out. After the huge impact that Dom Goodman made in his debut, in 2021, supporters will be interested to see how he goes after a very quiet 2022.

Durham are not without their problems either, having had to sign a sixth bowler for the season (debut for Migael Pretorius), although Matthew Potts is available, having been released by England. If the New Ball attack can be seen off, the change bowlers are, as for Gloucestershire, less experienced.

Day 1

With rain pushing in from the west, there was every likelihood of a truncated day. James Bracey won the Toss and decided to bat. The surprise was that both Josh Shaw and Dom Goodman played, with Jack Taylor missing out. This put Zafar at 7 and left Gloucestershire with a very long tail, starting (if the scorecard could be believed) with Zaman Ahktar, a Championship debutant in the first fixture against Durham, at #8 – he may want to frame that scorecard!

An opening attack of Matthew Potts and Ben Raine is not to be despised. Ben Charlesworth and Chris Dent faced it in bright sunshine, on what looked like an excellent pitch with a very short boundary towards the pavilion, knowing that they had to see off the New Ball and make good use of the pitch. Briefly, Charlesworth looked in decent form, taking a brace of fours from the last two balls of the third over. Chris Dent added another in Raine’s next over, guiding the ball through Point. That made it 19-0 from 6 overs, just two of them off the bowling of Potts, but a promising start. However, it did not last: Charlesworth tried to clip the first ball of the eighth over off his legs and got a leading edge to Matt Parkinson at Mid-On: 23-1 and Matthew Potts with the breakthrough. This brought Ollie Price in at 3. With a long tail, a century and a fifty from the top three were high on the wish list, particularly with Durham’s batting setting huge first innings totals all season.

Chris Dent hit a lovely boundary through Mid-wicket but was lucky to survive next ball when his edge dropped just short of Slip. However, the 50 came up in the seventeenth over, with the change bowlers now on, although, in a sign of things to come, the sun had hidden behind some grey clouds and the wind was picking up. Back came Ben Raine to break the partnership and Chris Dent clipped the ball gently to leg, watching it race away to the boundary. The batsman was probably not displeased to see a lot of the bowling aimed at his legs and took full advantage.

Gloucestershire were making seemingly serene progress to Lunch, the sun out again, Dent into the 40s and Price in the 20s, with the former batting as well as he has all season. Debutant Migael Pretorius gave Ollie Price a very wide one that he flung his bat at and could only edge through to Second Slip. It was not a good shot to play with an over to the break, ending a nice partnership of 66 that threatened to set the foundation for a good total. 89-2 and a danger that the hard work could be undone unless someone could bed-in for a big score. That will hopefully be Chris Dent, who hooked Ben Raine for an easy single and saw the return throw pass under the ‘keeper’s gloves and run for four byes to take him to 49*. 94-2 at the break.

On the return, Chris Dent wasted no time in tucking the single square to get his fifty in 88 balls (5x4). Miles Hammond then guided the ball through Third Man to score the boundary that brought up the hundred. It’s an odd, psychological thing, but 101-2 always looks much better than 94-2! Miles Hammond continued to go for his shots, as he has done in recent games and flayed a slightly overpitched ball through the Covers for another boundary. Chris Dent took his cue from that and hammered a hook to the short boundary. By this time there was rain in Cardiff, Taunton, Worcester and, naturally, at Blackpool, so you wondered how long it would be before it would reach the far north. The gathering cloud, though, was not upsetting the batsmen: another imperious drive through the Covers brough Miles Hammond another boundary. 124-2 and sixteen runs had come from the last seven legitimate deliveries. A couple of quiet overs and Miles Hammond took three boundaries in a Pretorius over to reach 32 from 30 balls, looking in supreme form.

With the light getting distinctly gloomy, on came Matt Parkinson to bowl his leggies with Durham needing a wicket and the floodlights flickering on. It led to a bizarre shot with Chris Dent chipping the ball over bowler into no man’s land for two as if playing a delicate pitching wedge onto the green. Miles Hammond showed him how it is done by dancing down the pitch twice for consecutive sixes: the first back over the bowler, the second over Extra Cover. That brought up the 150 in the 41^st over. After an exchange of singles, a horrible leg-side full toss was sent through Mid-wicket for the four to bring his 50 in 43 balls (8x4, 2x6) and take it up to eighteen off the over. Watching so many shots, the Baz-word was coming to mind.

With the batsmen right on top, another hour like this could have had Durham in dire straits. Unfortunately, Hammond went after Parkinson again, did not get properly to the ball and Scott Borthwick dived and hung on at Short Mid-wicket. Miles Hammond was unfortunate to fall to a superb catch, but the whispers will be that, once again, he passed fifty but did not convert. 170-3 and thoughts of 350 or 400 receding. Even so, Chris Dent was batting probably better than any time so far in the season. The 200 came up in the 52^nd over and it was a surprise when he departed three balls afterwards. Jaffa in the channel from Potts, edged through to the ‘keeper and Dent out for 85: 200-4.

Grant Roelofsen was still there and, for the second time in the day, a piece of enthusiastic fielding led to a five as the batsmen took a quick single. The throw missed the stumps and the desperate dives of two outfielders as it rocketed to the boundary. Thanks in part to them, twenty-one had come from three overs and, again, a dangerous partnership was forming: 36 from 37 balls. This time, though, it was the last two recognised batsmen, and it was essential that it continued. Durham were starting to get a little sloppy in the field with consecutive balls seeing first an overthrow from a wild shy and then a bad misfield that allowed a push by Bracey to go for extra runs. Durham had leaked a surprising number of runs from overthrows and misfields throughout the day, which they could regret later. The 250, the first batting point and the 50 partnership (from 56 balls) came up in the sixty-second over. Could the batsmen push on? Matt Parkinson served up a filthy full toss, Roelofsen missed a cross-batted swipe and was bowled: 256-5. Parkinson could not believe his luck. Grant Roelofsen out for 42 (58 balls, 5x4). Again, a wicket to a poor shot, just before an interval, with the batsmen right on top. 259-5 at Tea.

During Tea, the threatened rain arrived, and the covers came on. About twenty minutes were lost.

No sooner had the players come back out when James Bracey offered an expansive drive to Parkinson and was bowled through the gate by a ball that turned considerably. 261-6. Bracey, 26 and only the bowlers to come.

What had looked like an excellent pitch earlier, started to show signs that it might behave less reliably. Zafar ducked a short ball only to see it barely rise – not the first time that it had happened – and the odd ball was turning now for the spinners. It was coming down a matter of how many the tail could make, particularly with the New Ball approaching. Josh Shaw has shown that he is capable with the bat but was in far too high at #8 (Zaman Ahktar would still have the scorecard showing him at #8 as a souvenir), although he and Zafar organised themselves capably, taking plenty of singles and rotating the strike. Shaw even lobbed Parkinson back over the bowler’s head much as Chris Dent had earlier, but more successfully, earning a boundary. It had become dark again, light rain started to fall and that was the day that was… 280-6. Five overs to the New Ball and twenty needed for the second batting point that must be the absolute minimum that Gloucestershire want.

Day 2

What would Gloucestershire accept? There were suggestions late on Day 1 that perhaps the pitch was not quite as perfect as we thought. Could the tail add 50 more and perhaps get up to 330? Let’s put that in context. So far this season, the Durham first innings totals have been:

376ao, 425-9d, 471-9d, 452-9d, 227, 445ao, 630ao and 517-6d

So, maybe even 330 might not be enough… But, for now, a fairly cloudy sky with a little blue, but some heavy showers promised later in the day.

This season, games against Durham have been Christians v Lions. Today, the show was at the Chester-le-Street Coliseum. And Gloucestershire were given the role of the Christians. However, as Russell Crowe showed in “Gladiator”, sometimes the underdog could escape with his skin and, although it will be an uphill struggle over the last two days, a dogged performance has avoided having a mountain to climb instead.

Things started well. Three boundaries for Zafar off Carse’s first over of the day, including a superb uppercut. Then Josh Shaw launched the first ball of Matt Parkinson’s second over for six over Long On: that was the 300 and second batting point up in double quick time. It was too good to last. Carse dropped one a bit short at Josh Shaw, who tried to help it down to Fine Leg, but only managed to deflect the ball to the ‘keeper. 302-7. Shaw 16. Carse then bounced Matt Taylor, who also nicked the ball to the ‘keeper. Two in two and Carse on a hat trick. Zaman Ahktar avoided it, but nearly fell in the same way as Josh Shaw to his second ball. Next ball, also short. Zaman missed it. The ‘keeper missed it, and it flew through for four byes,

Gloucestershire were scoring at 4-an-over and the game was advancing at a tremendous pace. The New Ball was taken immediately by Carse, and the first ball with it castled Zafar, hitting middle and off. Zafar 34, Gloucestershire 316-9. Dom Goodman survived one ball, missed the second and was adjudged LBW. 316ao. From 256-4, the last 6 wickets had fallen for 60. Not ideal.

Matt Taylor and Josh Shaw with the New Ball. And the “blink and you’ll miss it” cricket continued. Seven runs for the first four deliveries, including a cut for four by Michael Jones that just avoided Gulley. However, Jones lasted just three balls of the second over as Josh Shaw fired in a quick, straight one and got him LBW. 10-1 and we were just 9 balls into the innings. Josh Shaw’s second over was less successful; it started 4 4 4 2 and was typical of the opening exchanges. Leather was flying and Durham were scoring at better than a run a ball. The 50 came up in the 10^th over, with Zaman Ahktar on to try to wrest back some control. Martin Emerson thought that Gloucestershire had left some runs out there: with 85 overs still to come in the day, everything suggested that Durham might be well ahead come the Close today: it would prove to be a sound prediction.

Back came Josh Shaw for a second spell and, this time, was less expensive. He also saw how Scott Borthwick tried to hit him over the short pavilion boundary, miscued and Jack Taylor took a comfortable catch on the boundary. 77-2 in the 17^th over. Shaw with 2-25 from 5.3 overs and very nearly 3-25 from 5.4 as new batsman, David Bedingham, tried a glance first ball and the close fielders all went up loudly for a catch.

Alex Lees reached his 50 (56 balls, 8x4) with a single off Zafar and celebrated by taking a brace of boundaries later in the over. Ten off Zafar’s first over and he must have been thinking something on the lines of “here we go again”. It was a double change, with Dom Goodman coming in at the other end and being greeted with the obligatory boundary. The 100 came up in the 22^nd over with a single swept to Fine Leg off Zafar, but you could say that, after a difficult start, Gloucestershire were wresting back some control. With three balls left before Lunch, Dom Goodman dropped in a short ball, David Bedingham hooked and watched the ball go straight to Matt Taylor. 101-3 and Lunch, which must have tasted far better than the bowlers could have hoped three quarters of an hour before.

For the super-optimists, Durham still need 65 to avoid the follow-on! Get Alex Lees quickly after Lunch and that 316ao may look a long way away.

A wicket did fall quickly, but it was Ollie Robinson, chipping a low catch back to Dom Goodman, who did well to get down to it. 109-4, Robinson 7 and Dom Goodman with 2-14.

Although there was no more success for the bowlers, they kept the lid on the scoring very successfully, with plenty of men on the boundary to cut off the fours. Durham were forced to re-build and needed a partnership. Alex Lees and Graham Clark were determined to provide one. Up came the 150 in the 37^th over and Durham slowly getting back on top but scoring mainly in singles. Lees was the main problem and a boundary cracked straight back down the ground, past Matt Taylor, brought up the 50 partnership in 84 balls. The follow-on was, saved and ominously, Alex Lees was in the 90s and looking in no difficulty. Up came Lees’ century with an imperious drive off Zafar, from 120 balls with 13x4 and he took a boundary next ball too to celebrate. After two centuries in the previous match against Leicestershire, this was his third consecutive ton.

Suddenly, the floodgates were opening again. The 200 came up in the 47^th over, the stand was closing on 100 and Gloucestershire urgently needed a wicket. The century stand came up, followed by the Clark 50. 242-4 (Lees 137*, Clark 57*) from 55 overs at Tea and Gloucestershire’s promising position just after Lunch had turned into an increasingly difficult one.

After Tea, the grinding-down of the bowlers continued. Three consecutive boundaries from a Zaman Ahktar over took Lees to 150 from 163 balls but, mostly, it was taking singles as they wanted, with Durham looking at a total well north of 450 with maximum batting points. It was a relief when, finally, the rain arrived and, at 280-4, everyone retreated to the pavilion. The happiest person on the pitch was, undoubtedly, Josh Shaw who had just been tossed the ball and had marked out his run-up with the enthusiasm of a condemned man walking to the gallows. The interruption was brief. The sun was quickly back out and after the rope was dragged round, the covers went off and just 4 overs were lost.

Ollie Price had been tried and, for once, had left his Superman cape behind so, with the New Ball approaching, Ben Charlesworth was called up to try his luck. It took him just five balls to break the stand. Clark tried to thump him to the short boundary and picked out Chris Dent perfectly at Mid-wicket. Another Durham batsman had given away his wicket but, this time, with 82 to his name. 304-5, the partnership of 192 had transformed the game and Alex Lees still there on 172* and threatening to take the game away from Gloucestershire.

In came Brydon Carse. Ben Charlesworth dropped short, and the batsman swivelled and swatted him away for six. That took the scores level. In no time Carse had 16 from 13 balls and the lead was starting to grow far too quickly for comfort. The 350 and third batting point came up in the 78^th over with a Lees six as his double century started to look inevitable. A sign of the situation was Chris Dent coming on to bowl some very gentle medium pace to hasten the New Ball. Lees treated him with respect but pushed the single off him to bring up another 50 partnership.

On came Matt Taylor. Little could he imagine that after an afternoon of toil, he would find himself immediately on a hattrick. Out came the New Ball. His first ball was straight. Lees missed it and ran a leg bye only to look up and see the raised finger. Alex Lees finally out for 195. A monumental innings and a second bowling point at last for the Shire. Second ball, Ben Raine flashed, edged and James Bracey scooped up a low catch that just barely reached him. Raine was very unhappy and, initially refused to walk, but the scoreboard said 359-7 and he had to go. Suddenly, two New Ball deliveries had changed the game. Hattrick ball. Two Slips the only close fielders. Pretorius drove it through the Covers for four.

As you were! In no time Pretorius had 22 from 14 balls and Carse 34 from 36. The 400 was approaching like an express train. Again, a wicket was needed urgently and almost came when Carse edged Matt Taylor agonisingly close to Slip, but Ollie Price could not quite reach it. The 400 came up as Carse took advantage of his escape and went after Josh Shaw, slogging a boundary and then a huge six from consecutive balls. After brief relief, the bowlers were under the cosh… again: just the sixteen from the over. Carse’s 50 came up from 45 balls.

Martin Emerson was in raptures in the commentary box. James Bracey probably did not share his enthusiasm. Up came the hundred lead with more than three overs to the Close. Would Durham play for the Close? No, they would not. Carse essayed a big drive off Dom Goodman and the stumps were demolished off an inside edge. 432-8 and Gloucestershire just a wicket from full bowling points.

433-8 at the Close with Carse on 60*. Gloucestershire will want to knock over the #10 and 11 quickly in the morning to avoid the lead getting any bigger.

 Day 3

Covers on, but only a short delay. 11:15 start. 4 overs lost. 100 to play. Bursts of bright sunshine at the start, but some ominous clouds encroaching on the blue sky. Storm clouds threatening. It was an omen.

The breech between the Division 2 haves and have nots was all too visible yesterday. Both sides have an injury crisis but Durham, with their resources, continue to be a powerhouse. It is great to see them back where they belong after years of penury, but could Gloucestershire stop the Durham juggernaut, or at least, slow its progress to the Division 2 title? What no one could have anticipated, after just eighteen wickets had fallen in the first two days that Gloucestershire would be facing an imminent innings defeat within half an hour of Lunch. That it was avoided was thanks to Miles Hammond and Matt Taylor, but the game was still over with the best part of four sessions to play.

And the day had begun so well.

Durham 117 ahead with Brydon Carse set on 60* and the 5^th batting point beckoning. Matt Taylor and Zaman Ahktar with a still fairly new ball. It took just 18 deliveries for Gloucestershire to add the third bowling point. Matt Taylor took his 200^th First Class wicket, bowling Brydon Carse comprehensively for 62 with the last ball of the third over of the day. 437-9 and a good start for Gloucestershire. Meanwhile, despite the bright sunshine, the sky was getting rapidly blacker, although the heavy rain missed the ground passing just north. With plenty of time available, Durham were content to take the singles and advance slowly on the 450 until Matthew Potts cracked a boundary to take the score to 448 and, when Will Goodman came on for Zaman Ahktar, Potts launched the ball through Mid-wicket to bring up the fifth batting point. That, though, was that. The 450 up, Matthew Potts tried a pull from Dom Goodman’s fifth ball and holed-out to Zafar on the boundary.

453ao and career best figures of 4-73 for Dom Goodman. 137 the lead. How many wickets would Gloucestershire lose in knocking-off the deficit?

Out came Ben Charlesworth and Chris Dent and down came the rain before a ball could be bowled. Quickly, it turned into a heavy shower and puddles formed on the covers so the umpires, sensibly, called for an early lunch.

A quiet first over gave no hint of the mayhem to come on a pitch livened-up by rain. It started in the second over. Matthew Potts sent his second ball through Ben Charlesworth’s push and watched the stumps explode. 1-1. Ollie Price missed another straight one and his Off Stump cartwheeled: 7-2. Chris Dent survived twelve balls before Potts bowled him too: 10-3 and the possibility of an innings defeat before Tea staring the batsmen in the face. It got worse… Grant Roelofsen hit a glorious straight drive for four. Was this the start of a fightback? No, the next ball was edged to the ‘keeper, who took the ball in front of 1^st Slip: 24-4 and Potts on 4-17. It could have been worse still. Miles Hammond was badly dropped at 1^st Slip, which would have made the score 24-5 in the nineth over. However, with change bowlers having to come on in the end, batting got a little easier and the 50 came up in the eighteenth over with a No Ball.

Just as it seemed that the storm had been weathered, Pretorius served up a ball in about 7^th stump, Bracey drove, edged and Ollie Robinson took a superb, low catch, just in front of 1^st Slip. 63-5 and any faint hope of taking the match into the last day had gone. James Bracey had made 15. Miles Hammond almost followed him two balls later with a Chinese Cut that just missed leg stump. However, he was still there, fighting, on 27*.

With Tea just two minutes away, Matt Parkinson bowled a full toss. Zafar went for it and top-edged the ball to Mid-On. 93-6. 44 behind still. Hammond, who had been dropped on 6, 39*.

Now would be a great time for Josh Shaw’s maiden First Class century. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Miles Hammond left him to face the last three balls of a Carse over: two was enough, the second of them being turned straight to Forward Square Leg. 98-7 and the fat lady warming up.

Miles Hammond reached his fifth fifty of the season from 82 balls out of 108-7. However desperate the situation, he was going to hit the ball if there to hit. Matthew Potts served him up a leg side short ball that was hooked imperiously over Square Leg for six. He followed it with an imperious Cover Drive for four. At the other end Matt Parkinson had five men around the bat for Matt Taylor. Two runs down to Deep Square Leg put Gloucestershire ahead but, with 34 overs still to bat, the chances of the game entering a fourth day were remote indeed. A boundary and a two for Matt Taylor brought up the 150 and the 50 partnership, with Hammond now 73*. Matt Taylor was proving a solid foil and, had they continued for another hour, something might have been rescued from the wreckage of the innings. When Matt Taylor pulled Ben Raine to Fine Leg and Alex Lees pouched the catch, he sank to his knees in jubilation knowing that the last real obstacle to a Durham win had been removed. 160-8, the lead 24. Matt Taylor 22.

Miles Hammond moved into the eighties but did not try to farm the strike. Often singles were taken early in the over, or even last ball when Zaman Ahktar was on strike. The result was inevitable. Finally, Zaman faced one ball too many and edged a bat-pad to Silly Point. 180-9, the lead 43. Could Dom Goodman see Miles Hammond to his century? The answer was “no”. Hammond tried to pull Carse for six and only managed to find Matt Parkinson on the boundary to be last out for 86. Gloucestershire 188ao and just 52 needed to win.

With so few runs to play with, even a triple wicket maiden the first over would have been insufficient. As it was, Durham proceeded to knock off the runs with a minimum of fuss, despite rotation of the bowlers. In the end, it was Zafar who got the only breakthrough, dismissing Alex Lees when he tried a paddle shot but, at 38-1 the match was long over by then. Scott Borthwick swept Ollie Price for two to bring the scores level in the twelfth over and finished the job with a single to Fine Leg. A nine wicket win, and Gloucestershire well beaten.

If anyone harboured any delusions that a couple of wins at Cheltenham could launch a rapid rise up the table, they must have been dissipated now.