Unexpected win for Glos

CB40: Gloucestershire 196-6 beat Essex 195 by four wickets

Unexpected because of the results in the competition so far and the X1 that Gloucestershire fielded - again packed with youngsters, including a return to action for the now 17-year-old Craig Miles.

Miles looked a much better prospect watching him bowl from side on, on a good hard deck. From the top of the Jessop stand in April there was definitely a sense of what's-the-fuss-about. But today his potential was evident. Plenty more growing to do and already capable of picking up 2-fors in first team cricket. Impressive.

Impressive was also another controlled innings from Ian Cockbain. It wasn't the innings of a finisher but that of an opener whose knock the total is built around - he should be pushed up the order. He won the game today and could have won yesterday's game too.

But this game was more lost by Essex. They were outrageously poor in simply not sticking around. Seven down in the 13th over was pathetic. Once batsmen got settled - Phillips, Napier and Wright - they proved how profitable the College can be with two record partnerships for Essex against Gloucestershire.

Their battling nearly set something up for the visitors as Gloucestershire again lost too many wickets too soon but Cockbain and Kevin O'Brien, who was unusually but welcomingly sensible, found the partnership that won them the game.