LVCC: Gloucestershire 420 & 45-0 beat Middlesex 236 & 228 by 10 wickets (PTS: Glos 23, Midd 3)
If Gloucestershire are to compete at a higher level in county cricket, poor sides like Middlesex need to be swatted away. They certainly were at Bristol.
Coming out to bat 184 behind is never easy but Middlesex found it far too hard against a quality bowling attack. Jon Lewis produced his classic stuff to chip off the top three before the rest of the attack ground Middlesex down, using the conditions very well - seven of the dismissals were catches behind the wicket.
Gloucestershire's far superior bowling attack was the difference in this match as the home side cruised to a three-day win.
Twice the five-man seam attack bowled Middlesex out for modest totals. It was relentless stuff. Steve Kirby and Anthony Ireland charging in and James Franklin, Gemaal Hussain and Lewis swinging their way around a weak Middlesex line-up.
Neil Dexter pulled his socks up to make 54 for the visitors but he was incredibly lucky with several edges flying wide of fielders. Middlesex, very much under pressure from the scoreboard, offered little.
Their bowling was missing Iain O'Brien, Gareth Berg and Steve Finn and, missing three quality bowlers, their attack lacked bite and spinner Tom Smith found little help off another surface which offered more for the seam bowlers.
But Gloucestershire performed very well with the bat, everyone just about got among the runs and gained a confidence boost ahead of a tough test against Sussex next week.
Official report: www.gloscricketradio.co.uk
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