DAY 3 Close: Leicestershire 102 & 282-9 lead Gloucestershire 376 by seven runs (PTS: Leics 3, Glos 7)
LIVE ball-by-ball coverage on www.gloscricketradio.co.uk
Bad light agonisingly denied Gloucestershire victory on day three at Bristol. However, 14 overs at the last wicket should have been enough for the home side. Jacques de Toit and Matthew Hoggard managed to bat out 50 minutes until the close.
More to follow...
Coverage continues on www.gloscricketradio.co.uk
Official report on www.gloscricket.co.uk
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Foxes fightback after Glos rampage
DAY 2 Close: Leicestershire 102 & 122-0 trail Gloucestershire 376 by 154 runs (PTS: Glos 7, Leics 3)
LIVE ball-by-ball commentary on www.gloscricketradio.co.uk
Gloucestershire ended day two very much in the driving seat for a third straight win, despite a rally from Paul Nixon and Matt Boyce after tea which saw the visitors comfortably to the close but still with a large arrears.
Another devastating spell with the ball propelled the home side to a commanding lead. Again, all of the bowlers contributed, pressure was maintained and a young Leicestershire batting line up didn't have the necessary determination to stop the deluge of wickets. All 10 fell for just 74 runs.
However, the replied with a very spirited performance in what could have been a disastrous spell after tea. With plenty of overs to survive before the close.
LIVE coverage continues tomorrow on www.gloscricketradio.co.uk
Official report: www.gloscricket.co.uk
LIVE ball-by-ball commentary on www.gloscricketradio.co.uk
Gloucestershire ended day two very much in the driving seat for a third straight win, despite a rally from Paul Nixon and Matt Boyce after tea which saw the visitors comfortably to the close but still with a large arrears.
Another devastating spell with the ball propelled the home side to a commanding lead. Again, all of the bowlers contributed, pressure was maintained and a young Leicestershire batting line up didn't have the necessary determination to stop the deluge of wickets. All 10 fell for just 74 runs.
However, the replied with a very spirited performance in what could have been a disastrous spell after tea. With plenty of overs to survive before the close.
LIVE coverage continues tomorrow on www.gloscricketradio.co.uk
Official report: www.gloscricket.co.uk
Monday, May 10, 2010
Glos find form with the bat
DAY 1 Close: Gloucestershire 314-6 v Leicestershire (PTS: Glos 3, Leics 2)
LIVE ball-by-ball commentary on www.gloscricketradio.co.uk
Gloucestershire finally found form with the bat to take their innings into a second day at Bristol - a feat not even contemplated this season, particularly when they lost the toss, were asked to bat and Matthew Hoggard removed Will Porterfield for a duck and Jon Batty for just six.
Second innings runs for Batty are a must, otherwise, with a position required to make way for a spinner in Cardiff, Gloucestershire's new signing may be the one to make way for Vikram Banerjee. He may still be dropped if Steve Snell can make sizable runs here.
Gloucestershire built an innings by the textbook - contributions down the card (save the openers), partnerships, consolidations: it was all there and the home side were well worth their runs.
The major disappointment was failure to convert fifties into hundreds by Hamish Marshall - who received one of few decent deliveries of the day by Andy Harris - and particularly Alex Gidman, who couldn't resist the temptation to pull his way to a hundred despite the threat of two men back for the hook.
Chris Taylor is also in that column, but was slightly unlucky to glove a Nathan Buck bouncer to the wicketkeeper.
The home side should make it four batting points tomorrow - 36 to make in 14 overs - and then can look to build a score of above 400 to stamp their authority on a match for the first time this season.
LIVE coverage continues tomorrow on www.gloscricketradio.co.uk
Official report: www.gloscricket.co.uk
LIVE ball-by-ball commentary on www.gloscricketradio.co.uk
Gloucestershire finally found form with the bat to take their innings into a second day at Bristol - a feat not even contemplated this season, particularly when they lost the toss, were asked to bat and Matthew Hoggard removed Will Porterfield for a duck and Jon Batty for just six.
Second innings runs for Batty are a must, otherwise, with a position required to make way for a spinner in Cardiff, Gloucestershire's new signing may be the one to make way for Vikram Banerjee. He may still be dropped if Steve Snell can make sizable runs here.
Gloucestershire built an innings by the textbook - contributions down the card (save the openers), partnerships, consolidations: it was all there and the home side were well worth their runs.
The major disappointment was failure to convert fifties into hundreds by Hamish Marshall - who received one of few decent deliveries of the day by Andy Harris - and particularly Alex Gidman, who couldn't resist the temptation to pull his way to a hundred despite the threat of two men back for the hook.
Chris Taylor is also in that column, but was slightly unlucky to glove a Nathan Buck bouncer to the wicketkeeper.
The home side should make it four batting points tomorrow - 36 to make in 14 overs - and then can look to build a score of above 400 to stamp their authority on a match for the first time this season.
LIVE coverage continues tomorrow on www.gloscricketradio.co.uk
Official report: www.gloscricket.co.uk
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Essex stand defeats Glos
40L: Essex 267ao (40 overs) beat Gloucestershire 225ao (37.3overs) by 42 runs
David Payne became the first Gloucestershire bowler to take seven wickets in a one-day match but Gloucestershire still fell to a comfortable 42-run defeat.
He took four wickets with the first four balls of the 40th over. When Chris Martin walked out to bat he surely sensed a fifth wicket, and indeed had Martin play and miss, but the fifth wicket in the over fell to a run out by Batty off the final ball.
That remarkable finish to the Essex innings came after a positive start to the game, Gloucestershire winning the toss and bowling under heavy cloud and picking up Billy Godleman and the dangerous Mark Pettini cheaply.
But Essex won the game with a 166-run stand between Grant Flower (116 from 103 balls) and Ryan ten Doescathe (84 from 53 balls).
It was a marvellous stand, full of powerful hitting and beautiful stroke-making but Gloucestershire failed to build any real pressure and once momentum was with the batsmen, there was nothing Alex Gidman could seemingly do to stop the flow of runs - despite chopping and changing his seven bowlers.
What Gidman needed was control and no-one could provide that; the decision to rest Jon Lewis was perhaps regrettable.
What wasn't regrettable was the decision to throw Will Porterfield back into the line-up. Fresh from the West Indies, he played with urgency and control and his busy 65 from 64 balls looked like providing a decent reply but no-one went with him.
It was classic Gloucestershire batting. Attractive strokemaking and a soft dismissal was the feature of Hamish Marshall's, Chris Taylor's and Gidman's innings. One partnership of 81 was not enough to chase a large total.
Steve Snell again proved his worth as a specialist batsman, responding from three ducks in four innings to make a brisk half-century. But his lower-order runs came when his side were out of range.
David Payne became the first Gloucestershire bowler to take seven wickets in a one-day match but Gloucestershire still fell to a comfortable 42-run defeat.
He took four wickets with the first four balls of the 40th over. When Chris Martin walked out to bat he surely sensed a fifth wicket, and indeed had Martin play and miss, but the fifth wicket in the over fell to a run out by Batty off the final ball.
That remarkable finish to the Essex innings came after a positive start to the game, Gloucestershire winning the toss and bowling under heavy cloud and picking up Billy Godleman and the dangerous Mark Pettini cheaply.
But Essex won the game with a 166-run stand between Grant Flower (116 from 103 balls) and Ryan ten Doescathe (84 from 53 balls).
It was a marvellous stand, full of powerful hitting and beautiful stroke-making but Gloucestershire failed to build any real pressure and once momentum was with the batsmen, there was nothing Alex Gidman could seemingly do to stop the flow of runs - despite chopping and changing his seven bowlers.
What Gidman needed was control and no-one could provide that; the decision to rest Jon Lewis was perhaps regrettable.
What wasn't regrettable was the decision to throw Will Porterfield back into the line-up. Fresh from the West Indies, he played with urgency and control and his busy 65 from 64 balls looked like providing a decent reply but no-one went with him.
It was classic Gloucestershire batting. Attractive strokemaking and a soft dismissal was the feature of Hamish Marshall's, Chris Taylor's and Gidman's innings. One partnership of 81 was not enough to chase a large total.
Steve Snell again proved his worth as a specialist batsman, responding from three ducks in four innings to make a brisk half-century. But his lower-order runs came when his side were out of range.
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Two-in-a-row for Glos after Oval win
LVCC: Gloucestershire 229 & 248 beat Surrey 178 & 222 by 77 runs (PTS: Glos 20, Surrey 3)
Vikram Banerjee completed an excellent return to the Gloucestershire first X1 by bowling his side to victory on the third evening. His 5-74 completed a "London double" for Gloucestershire which puts their promotion challenge back on track.
For the second day in succession, Gloucestershire won the morning session to take a grip of the game. James Franklin batted the morning for 90, but ended up stranded on 92 as the innings was wrapped up in just eight balls after lunch. Franklin was brilliantly supported by Banerjee, who made another 16 dogged runs, and Gemaal Hussain, who made 22.
Lower order runs again dug the visitors out of a huge hole that they had been plunged into yesterday. At 133-7, Surrey were looking to chase around 220 maximum. 300 was always too many for a struggling side.
Gloucestershire applied pressure with the ball by chipping away with regular wickets. Gareth Batty edged Kirby behind, likewise Mark Ramprakash off Franklin, and when Uzman Afzaal missed an attempted slog-sweep against Banerjee, suddenly the Surrey top order had contributed very little and were out of the game.
Arun Harinath could fit into the Gloucestershire batting very nicely. Looks promising, plays nicely, and then gives it away. He simply turned a Banerjee long-hop into the hands of Steve Snell at short-leg.
It wasn't a perfectly rosy afternoon for the Westcountry side though. They failed to take a number of chances that they will be punished for against good teams.
Alex Gidman and Hussain spilled absolute dollies that nearly cost Banerjee a five-for. Snell and Chris Taylor also put down straightforward chances and Hamish Marshall missed a run-out chance.
Those missed chances meant the game lasted a little longer than it did - finishing just two overs before the extra half-hour would be needed - but with the Surrey lower-order slogging away it was only a matter of time before the wickets went down.
Gloucestershire are showing signs of turning a corner with their cricket. "Clinch" situations in these last two games - both third mornings - have been won and that has contributed to two comfortable wins. The bowling can win matches if the batting provides the platform.
Official club info: www.gloscricket.co.uk
Vikram Banerjee completed an excellent return to the Gloucestershire first X1 by bowling his side to victory on the third evening. His 5-74 completed a "London double" for Gloucestershire which puts their promotion challenge back on track.
For the second day in succession, Gloucestershire won the morning session to take a grip of the game. James Franklin batted the morning for 90, but ended up stranded on 92 as the innings was wrapped up in just eight balls after lunch. Franklin was brilliantly supported by Banerjee, who made another 16 dogged runs, and Gemaal Hussain, who made 22.
Lower order runs again dug the visitors out of a huge hole that they had been plunged into yesterday. At 133-7, Surrey were looking to chase around 220 maximum. 300 was always too many for a struggling side.
Gloucestershire applied pressure with the ball by chipping away with regular wickets. Gareth Batty edged Kirby behind, likewise Mark Ramprakash off Franklin, and when Uzman Afzaal missed an attempted slog-sweep against Banerjee, suddenly the Surrey top order had contributed very little and were out of the game.
Arun Harinath could fit into the Gloucestershire batting very nicely. Looks promising, plays nicely, and then gives it away. He simply turned a Banerjee long-hop into the hands of Steve Snell at short-leg.
It wasn't a perfectly rosy afternoon for the Westcountry side though. They failed to take a number of chances that they will be punished for against good teams.
Alex Gidman and Hussain spilled absolute dollies that nearly cost Banerjee a five-for. Snell and Chris Taylor also put down straightforward chances and Hamish Marshall missed a run-out chance.
Those missed chances meant the game lasted a little longer than it did - finishing just two overs before the extra half-hour would be needed - but with the Surrey lower-order slogging away it was only a matter of time before the wickets went down.
Gloucestershire are showing signs of turning a corner with their cricket. "Clinch" situations in these last two games - both third mornings - have been won and that has contributed to two comfortable wins. The bowling can win matches if the batting provides the platform.
Official club info: www.gloscricket.co.uk
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Batting slips to leave match in the Balance
DAY 2 Close: Gloucestershire 229 & 139-7 lead Surrey 178 by 190 runs (PTS: Glos 4, Surrey 3)
LIVE ball-by-ball coverage on www.gloscricketradio.co.uk
Another remarkable demise by the Gloucestershire batsmen has turned what was looking like a strong position into a very nervy one after the second day at the Oval. Bad light again curtailed the drama - never a dull moment following Gloucestershire.
Firstly, Gloucestershire seized the initiative and produced a big morning session. So big, in fact, that it probably used up all their good cricket for the day. The afternoon was another poor one for the Gloucestershire batsmen and not being able to string together successive positive sessions is already costing them points.
Once again, the bowling attacked showed its teeth. The wickets were shared around but it was Jon Lewis who this time led the attack - darting the ball both ways from both ends and producing a beauty to clean bowl Mark Ramprakash.
The visitors had grabbed their chance and even a tenth wicket stand of 37 couldn't take away the splendid effort that gave them a useful 51-run lead.
But the lead was only useful. A solid second innings was required, not huge, but solid. Around 220 would suffice but disaster again struck as Gloucestershire suffered two double blows.
First the curse of 86. Alex Gidman, who had played some impressive strokes for a time, was trapped playing across the line. Then Jon Batty, so measured and controlled, was undone by an inswinger to hand Dernbach some eventual reward for a persistently nagging spell.
Then 122 proved another sticking point. Chris Taylor went in the same fashion as his captain, this time to Stuart Meaker who bowled with pace and menace all afternoon. It was the extra bounce that he extracted from just back-of-a-length that undid Steve Snell, who gloved a simple catch to first slip - his third duck in four innings.
The tail needed to wag, but Lewis could only fire in one department for the day and went caught behind for just one, leaving Vikram Banerjee the task of again providing some doggedness to support James Franklin - fluent for his 34 - to push Gloucestershire to 200.
250 is a testing target and Gloucestershire will back themselves to defend it, if they can set it. Has the batting again let the opposition off the hook?
LIVE coverage continues from 10:55 tomorrow on www.gloscricketradio.co.uk
Official report: www.gloscricket.co.uk
LIVE ball-by-ball coverage on www.gloscricketradio.co.uk
Another remarkable demise by the Gloucestershire batsmen has turned what was looking like a strong position into a very nervy one after the second day at the Oval. Bad light again curtailed the drama - never a dull moment following Gloucestershire.
Firstly, Gloucestershire seized the initiative and produced a big morning session. So big, in fact, that it probably used up all their good cricket for the day. The afternoon was another poor one for the Gloucestershire batsmen and not being able to string together successive positive sessions is already costing them points.
Once again, the bowling attacked showed its teeth. The wickets were shared around but it was Jon Lewis who this time led the attack - darting the ball both ways from both ends and producing a beauty to clean bowl Mark Ramprakash.
The visitors had grabbed their chance and even a tenth wicket stand of 37 couldn't take away the splendid effort that gave them a useful 51-run lead.
But the lead was only useful. A solid second innings was required, not huge, but solid. Around 220 would suffice but disaster again struck as Gloucestershire suffered two double blows.
First the curse of 86. Alex Gidman, who had played some impressive strokes for a time, was trapped playing across the line. Then Jon Batty, so measured and controlled, was undone by an inswinger to hand Dernbach some eventual reward for a persistently nagging spell.
Then 122 proved another sticking point. Chris Taylor went in the same fashion as his captain, this time to Stuart Meaker who bowled with pace and menace all afternoon. It was the extra bounce that he extracted from just back-of-a-length that undid Steve Snell, who gloved a simple catch to first slip - his third duck in four innings.
The tail needed to wag, but Lewis could only fire in one department for the day and went caught behind for just one, leaving Vikram Banerjee the task of again providing some doggedness to support James Franklin - fluent for his 34 - to push Gloucestershire to 200.
250 is a testing target and Gloucestershire will back themselves to defend it, if they can set it. Has the batting again let the opposition off the hook?
LIVE coverage continues from 10:55 tomorrow on www.gloscricketradio.co.uk
Official report: www.gloscricket.co.uk
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Glos struggle on Day One
DAY 1 Close: Surrey 56-1 trail Gloucestershire 229 by 173 runs (PTS: Surrey 3, Glos 1)
LIVE ball-by-ball coverage on www.gloscricketradio.moonfruit.com
Gloucestershire improved as the day got sunnier at the Oval but will be disappointed with their day in their second London engagement in consecutive weeks.
They will be mightily relieved that Gemaal Hussain knocked out Gareth Batty's off-stump in the day's penultimate over, otherwise the visitors could already be really behind the eight-ball.
Batty and Arun Harinath played some beautiful strokes and made batting look like a Christmas gift that had been ripped open and was being enjoyed with glee. Admittedly, under sunny skies batting was easier, but the pitch was not different to 11:00.
Having won the toss, the natural thing to do was to bat first at the Oval. But Gloucestershire aren't the team to negotiate tricky first-hours under laden skies. And so it proved as Batty was caught down the legside for a poor return to his old club; Marshall edged a length ball to slip; and Gidman was undone by some extra bounce and chipped up a simple catch to square leg.
A brief rally followed - another score-of-sorts for Chris Dent - but again no batsmen spent some significant time trying to build an innings. Snell played well, if a little too loosely, and on a different day could have edged a catch for a far smaller score, but his 48 was invaluable.
But the day really belonged to Vikram Banerjee. In his first championship match of the season he was incredibly determined at the crease, only played within his means, knew where to score and picked up his runs steadily for a highest first-class score. And produced a hint of turn in his two overs before the close.
Steve Kirby was also extremely dogged in putting on 13 to inch Gloucestershire over the 200 mark, before playing some delightful strokes for his 20 not out.
Lower order runs pulled the visitors back into the game. 127-7 at the Oval was nearly a score to put Gloucestershire out of the game. Although 229 is a below-par total, as this blog always advocates, it's runs on the board.
Coverage continues tomorrow from 10:55 on www.gloscricketradio.moonfruit.com
Official report: www.gloscricket.co.uk
LIVE ball-by-ball coverage on www.gloscricketradio.moonfruit.com
Gloucestershire improved as the day got sunnier at the Oval but will be disappointed with their day in their second London engagement in consecutive weeks.
They will be mightily relieved that Gemaal Hussain knocked out Gareth Batty's off-stump in the day's penultimate over, otherwise the visitors could already be really behind the eight-ball.
Batty and Arun Harinath played some beautiful strokes and made batting look like a Christmas gift that had been ripped open and was being enjoyed with glee. Admittedly, under sunny skies batting was easier, but the pitch was not different to 11:00.
Having won the toss, the natural thing to do was to bat first at the Oval. But Gloucestershire aren't the team to negotiate tricky first-hours under laden skies. And so it proved as Batty was caught down the legside for a poor return to his old club; Marshall edged a length ball to slip; and Gidman was undone by some extra bounce and chipped up a simple catch to square leg.
A brief rally followed - another score-of-sorts for Chris Dent - but again no batsmen spent some significant time trying to build an innings. Snell played well, if a little too loosely, and on a different day could have edged a catch for a far smaller score, but his 48 was invaluable.
But the day really belonged to Vikram Banerjee. In his first championship match of the season he was incredibly determined at the crease, only played within his means, knew where to score and picked up his runs steadily for a highest first-class score. And produced a hint of turn in his two overs before the close.
Steve Kirby was also extremely dogged in putting on 13 to inch Gloucestershire over the 200 mark, before playing some delightful strokes for his 20 not out.
Lower order runs pulled the visitors back into the game. 127-7 at the Oval was nearly a score to put Gloucestershire out of the game. Although 229 is a below-par total, as this blog always advocates, it's runs on the board.
Coverage continues tomorrow from 10:55 on www.gloscricketradio.moonfruit.com
Official report: www.gloscricket.co.uk
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