CB40L: Gloucestershire 246-9 (40 overs) beat Middlesex 169 (31.3 overs) by 77 runs
Gloucestershire produced a professional display of one-day cricket to comfortably beat Middlesex at Lord's to win their second one-day match of the season.
Having worked to a healthy total in the first innings, the bowling again dominated and Middlesex were never really in the chase. Wickets, as ever, spread around; the fielding squeezed the batsmen's ability to score easily and Middlesex only just straddled into the last ten overs of their innings.
A first half-century in Gloucestershire colours for Jon Batty and a big third-wicket stand were the most pleasing aspects of a first-innings where the visitors only posted a par-score: a run-a-ball is considered more than gettable in 40-over cricket, particularly at Lord's.
The less pleasing aspect was that Hamish Marshall still refuses to get a hundred. Despite more delightful stroke-making, Marshall needed to remain until the end of the innings and carry his side over 260. Instead he got out just at the wrong time, and were it not for Jon Lewis opening his shoulders the innings may well have stumbled to an abrupt halt.
However, Gloucestershire's efforts in the field continue to be of an extremely high standard. It was no surprise that wickets fell at regular intervals with the bowling so disciplined at the top of the innings. Vikram Banerjee and Anthony Ireland may have gone for 67 from their combined 10 overs, but they picked up five wickets between them and wickets won Gloucestershire the match.
Steve Kirby has been called up to the England Lions team to play Bangladesh at Derby next week. Selection for Gloucestershire's match at Cardiff becomes slightly easier as a result.
Official report: www.gloscricket.co.uk
"Selection for Gloucestershire's match at Cardiff becomes slightly easier as a result."
ReplyDeleteMaybe, but a lot depends on the Cardiff pitch. Kirby is one our only bowlers capable of getting wickets consistently on wickets that offer little; if it is a batters surface in Cardiff, then he will definitely be a significant loss. That said, it is of course good news to see him in the England contention which he deserves.