Gemaal Hussain is in talks with other counties about a move away from Nevil Road at the end of just his first season in county cricket. John Bracewell doesn’t want to play the loyalty card, this blog certainly does.
Hussain has worked extremely hard for an opportunity in first class cricket. After developing his game at London County Cricket Club – a development centre founded by WG Grace – he trialled at various counties and played for several second X1s.
Gloucestershire were the first county to show faith in the young man and gave him a two-year deal.It has been their work over the winter that has developed Hussain, harnessed the natural talent and produced a fine bowler.
After Ian Saxelby was ruled out for the long term before the start of this season, many expected Anthony Ireland to fill his place. But it was Hussain that was called up. An uninspiring debut at Beckenham last year forgotten, Hussain claimed nine wickets on debut and his stock has risen to such an extent that several counties have expressed an interest in the 26-year-old: with deeper pockets than Gloucestershire.
Hussain was rejected by Nottinghamshire; Worcestershire; Surrey; Sussex for whom he played 2nd X1 cricket. He is now the one that can do the rejecting but to snub the county that provided your breakthrough would be hideous.
Bracewell would like, instead, to use the professionalism card. Great surfaces to bowl on plus a quality backroom staff that is developing a reputation for bringing on promising youngsters should be enough persuade Hussain.
But he is 26. 10 years at the top? The lure of making the most from what you’ve got may be a factor too pertinent to ignore.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Sunday, August 08, 2010
Glos win another Festival thriller
CB40: Gloucestershire 302-7 beat Middlesex 299-8 by three wickets
Gloucestershire put the misery of another four-day defeat immediately behind them as they won another thrilling one-day match at Cheltenham. The college ground never fails in producing fantastic cricket matches.
Jon Lewis smashed 18 runs of the final over to see his side over the line with a ball to spare. His fist-pumping strut towards the Sandford Road tents was an unleashing of frustration evidently built up from two more championship failures.
Lewis took the final glory but the lions share of credit belonged to Chris Taylor and Steve Snell, whose remarkable fightback gave Gloucestershire a fighting chance. They came together with the innings struggling at 100-4 in the 18th over but added 158 at over eight-an-over.
Snell - in probably his final innings for Gloucestershire at Cheltenham - played beautifully in a career-best knock which combined power with touch and excellent running between the wickets for 95 from 62-balls. More of those innings will certainly earn him another county contract. But he fell in the same Pedro Collins over that saw Taylor also dismissed as game swung back in Middlesex's favour.
Often problems arise during the powerplay for batsmen and so it proved as Taylor looked to clip towards the unguarded legside boundary and was caught at sqaure-leg. Snell was cleaned up with an excellent yorker two balls later.
The script was written for debutant Ed Young but it was the old-hands who saw Gloucestershire home in front of 5,000 at the college. Richard Dawson smashed 17 from nine balls to keep the home side in the hunt, before Lewis completed a fabulous victory with two lofted extra-cover drives into the pavilion.
Gloucestershire put the misery of another four-day defeat immediately behind them as they won another thrilling one-day match at Cheltenham. The college ground never fails in producing fantastic cricket matches.
Jon Lewis smashed 18 runs of the final over to see his side over the line with a ball to spare. His fist-pumping strut towards the Sandford Road tents was an unleashing of frustration evidently built up from two more championship failures.
Lewis took the final glory but the lions share of credit belonged to Chris Taylor and Steve Snell, whose remarkable fightback gave Gloucestershire a fighting chance. They came together with the innings struggling at 100-4 in the 18th over but added 158 at over eight-an-over.
Snell - in probably his final innings for Gloucestershire at Cheltenham - played beautifully in a career-best knock which combined power with touch and excellent running between the wickets for 95 from 62-balls. More of those innings will certainly earn him another county contract. But he fell in the same Pedro Collins over that saw Taylor also dismissed as game swung back in Middlesex's favour.
Often problems arise during the powerplay for batsmen and so it proved as Taylor looked to clip towards the unguarded legside boundary and was caught at sqaure-leg. Snell was cleaned up with an excellent yorker two balls later.
The script was written for debutant Ed Young but it was the old-hands who saw Gloucestershire home in front of 5,000 at the college. Richard Dawson smashed 17 from nine balls to keep the home side in the hunt, before Lewis completed a fabulous victory with two lofted extra-cover drives into the pavilion.
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Glos slump to Cheltenham defeat
LVCC: Worcestershire 278 & 339-4 beat Gloucestershire 480 & 136 by six wickets
Gloucestershire slipped to consecutive defeats at Cheltenham as Worcestershire chased down a target of above 300 for the second time in six years. The result is another sucker punch for Gloucestershire's promotion hopes.
Full credit must go to Daryll Mitchell. Two hundreds in a match is a wonderful achievement and his second innings deserved to win a match. A marvellous stand with Moeen Ali ensured it did.
Worcestershire managed the chase extremely well. The first two sessions were more a survival mission which created the opportunity to push towards the target after tea.
Gloucestershire did have their moments as Chris Taylor inexplicably shelled Moeen at short-leg. Porterfield also put down a chance as the game slid away from the home side: their miserable run at Cheltenham and against Worcestershire continues.
Gloucestershire slipped to consecutive defeats at Cheltenham as Worcestershire chased down a target of above 300 for the second time in six years. The result is another sucker punch for Gloucestershire's promotion hopes.
Full credit must go to Daryll Mitchell. Two hundreds in a match is a wonderful achievement and his second innings deserved to win a match. A marvellous stand with Moeen Ali ensured it did.
Worcestershire managed the chase extremely well. The first two sessions were more a survival mission which created the opportunity to push towards the target after tea.
Gloucestershire did have their moments as Chris Taylor inexplicably shelled Moeen at short-leg. Porterfield also put down a chance as the game slid away from the home side: their miserable run at Cheltenham and against Worcestershire continues.
Friday, August 06, 2010
Tense final day in store as Glos push for Win
DAY 3 Close: Worcestershire 278 & 8-0 need another 331 to beat Gloucestershire 480 & 136 (PTS: Worcs 4, Glos 7)
LIVE ball-by-ball commentary: www.gloscricketradio.co.uk
A remarkable day's cricket saw Gloucestershire fired out for just 136 after deciding not to enforce the follow-on at Cheltenham. Worcestershire need a large chase to win but they have overcome such targets before here.
Psychology plays a large part in sport, Alex Gidman knows that. He obviously felt the psychological effect of batting last on a wearing pitch was more damaging to his team than the benefits of driving the opposition into the dirt when already down.
That dilemma faced the Gloucestershire skipper after efficient work with the second new ball allowed his side to take a 202 lead on first-innings. He will look very foolish if the home side don't go on to take their first championship victory at Cheltenham since 2001. He effectively wasted 40 overs as his side didn't get out of sight with the bat.
He had an opportunity to get a demoralised - and in Daryll Mitchell's case, quite very - batting line-up back into the middle. 202 is a huge lead and there was a chance that more efficient bowling could have seen the game wrapped up by an innings.
What transpired was the opportunity for the visitors to show some character in the field. They certainly did. Shakib-al-Hasan could never have dreamt of picking up a five-for from where the game was placed but a series of batting errors saw him pick up his maiden milestone haul and made Gloucestershire look ridiculous, capitulating to 136 all out.
It was unbelievable stuff. The mood was so lackadaisical and no-one particularly knew the way to play. Hamish Marshall was aggressive, James Franklin defensive - both were dismissed cheaply as the home side slumped but about ended up where the game needed them to be.
339 is achievable for Worcestershire and it won't be a case of shut up shop from ball one. The carrot is very much dangling and Gloucestershire need inroads to ensure it is they that are pushing for victory come the final hour.
LIVE coverage continues tomorrow on www.gloscricketradio.co.uk
LIVE ball-by-ball commentary: www.gloscricketradio.co.uk
A remarkable day's cricket saw Gloucestershire fired out for just 136 after deciding not to enforce the follow-on at Cheltenham. Worcestershire need a large chase to win but they have overcome such targets before here.
Psychology plays a large part in sport, Alex Gidman knows that. He obviously felt the psychological effect of batting last on a wearing pitch was more damaging to his team than the benefits of driving the opposition into the dirt when already down.
That dilemma faced the Gloucestershire skipper after efficient work with the second new ball allowed his side to take a 202 lead on first-innings. He will look very foolish if the home side don't go on to take their first championship victory at Cheltenham since 2001. He effectively wasted 40 overs as his side didn't get out of sight with the bat.
He had an opportunity to get a demoralised - and in Daryll Mitchell's case, quite very - batting line-up back into the middle. 202 is a huge lead and there was a chance that more efficient bowling could have seen the game wrapped up by an innings.
What transpired was the opportunity for the visitors to show some character in the field. They certainly did. Shakib-al-Hasan could never have dreamt of picking up a five-for from where the game was placed but a series of batting errors saw him pick up his maiden milestone haul and made Gloucestershire look ridiculous, capitulating to 136 all out.
It was unbelievable stuff. The mood was so lackadaisical and no-one particularly knew the way to play. Hamish Marshall was aggressive, James Franklin defensive - both were dismissed cheaply as the home side slumped but about ended up where the game needed them to be.
339 is achievable for Worcestershire and it won't be a case of shut up shop from ball one. The carrot is very much dangling and Gloucestershire need inroads to ensure it is they that are pushing for victory come the final hour.
LIVE coverage continues tomorrow on www.gloscricketradio.co.uk
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Glos in for toil as Worcs respond
DAY 2 Close: Worcestershire 126-2 trail Gloucestershire 480 by 354 runs (PTS: Worcs 1, Glos 4)
LIVE ball-by-ball commentary on www.gloscricketradio.co.uk
Gloucestershire will need to enforce the follow-on at Cheltenham to win this match. But the toil that the home bowlers endured in the evening session suggests this match is destined for a draw.
Daryll Mitchell and Moeen Ali - a centurian against Gloucestershire at New Road earlier in the season - found the going particularly easy under brightening skies and there was no joy for the seamers or Vikram Banerjee.
The wickets that did fall were slight misjudgements of line and it will take more disciplined bowling to create enough pressure to bowl Worcestershire out for under 330. If they eclipse that mark, this game will be a draw, and a boring one at that.
Gloucestershire built their way to 480 earlier in the day but playing so patiently despite being completely on top, that they failed to take maximum batting points. An absolutely travesty. It was lazy cricket, there was no impetus and a target that the batsmen should have sailed past wasn't overcome.
That took the gloss of James Franklin's hundred. His innings contained none of the pizazz that saw Will Porterfield's ton greeted with cheering not heard since Virginia Wade won at Wimbledon but it was an excellent innings that proved centuries can be made.
The home side did lose 4-18 to end their innings a touch prematurely but even 47 overs at the visiting batsmen wasn't enough to make more than two breakthroughs. A struggle may follow.
LIVE coverage continues tomorrow on www.gloscricketradio.co.uk
LIVE ball-by-ball commentary on www.gloscricketradio.co.uk
Gloucestershire will need to enforce the follow-on at Cheltenham to win this match. But the toil that the home bowlers endured in the evening session suggests this match is destined for a draw.
Daryll Mitchell and Moeen Ali - a centurian against Gloucestershire at New Road earlier in the season - found the going particularly easy under brightening skies and there was no joy for the seamers or Vikram Banerjee.
The wickets that did fall were slight misjudgements of line and it will take more disciplined bowling to create enough pressure to bowl Worcestershire out for under 330. If they eclipse that mark, this game will be a draw, and a boring one at that.
Gloucestershire built their way to 480 earlier in the day but playing so patiently despite being completely on top, that they failed to take maximum batting points. An absolutely travesty. It was lazy cricket, there was no impetus and a target that the batsmen should have sailed past wasn't overcome.
That took the gloss of James Franklin's hundred. His innings contained none of the pizazz that saw Will Porterfield's ton greeted with cheering not heard since Virginia Wade won at Wimbledon but it was an excellent innings that proved centuries can be made.
The home side did lose 4-18 to end their innings a touch prematurely but even 47 overs at the visiting batsmen wasn't enough to make more than two breakthroughs. A struggle may follow.
LIVE coverage continues tomorrow on www.gloscricketradio.co.uk
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Porterfield ton sets up great Day for Glos
DAY 1 Close: Gloucestershire 324-4 v Worcestershire (PTS: Glos 3, Worcs 1)
LIVE ball-by-ball commentary on www.gloscricketradio.co.uk
Irishmen often enjoy themselves at Cheltenham. But Will Porterfield's career-best 175 wasn't exactly the enjoyment those from the Emerald Isle are used to in North Gloucestershire.
Not a drop of Guinness was poured not any gambles laid in Porterfield's blistering 209-ball innings which helped Gloucestershire dominate on day one of a must-win match for the home side.
Having worked the visitors bowling, which lacked any depth, around the college ground, the Ireland captain again went for his strokes and received a slice of luck when Daryll Mitchell shelled a chance on 32.
But fortune favours the brave and Porterfield lifted Shakib-al-Hasan over the Churchdown Club tent before cutting him into the pavilion to bring up the century that everybody has craved all season. The ovation was raucous: 1894 had been avoided.
What Gloucestershire also managed to achieve was to build in significant partnerships. Century stands by Porterfield with first Alex Gidman - who edged to slip for 40 - and James Franklin - unbeaten on 50 despite being dropped - saw the home side enjoy their best Cheltenham day in the county championship for many seasons.
LIVE ball-by-ball commentary on www.gloscricketradio.co.uk
Irishmen often enjoy themselves at Cheltenham. But Will Porterfield's career-best 175 wasn't exactly the enjoyment those from the Emerald Isle are used to in North Gloucestershire.
Not a drop of Guinness was poured not any gambles laid in Porterfield's blistering 209-ball innings which helped Gloucestershire dominate on day one of a must-win match for the home side.
Having worked the visitors bowling, which lacked any depth, around the college ground, the Ireland captain again went for his strokes and received a slice of luck when Daryll Mitchell shelled a chance on 32.
But fortune favours the brave and Porterfield lifted Shakib-al-Hasan over the Churchdown Club tent before cutting him into the pavilion to bring up the century that everybody has craved all season. The ovation was raucous: 1894 had been avoided.
What Gloucestershire also managed to achieve was to build in significant partnerships. Century stands by Porterfield with first Alex Gidman - who edged to slip for 40 - and James Franklin - unbeaten on 50 despite being dropped - saw the home side enjoy their best Cheltenham day in the county championship for many seasons.
Sunday, August 01, 2010
Glos slump to another Festival defeat
LVCC: Glamorgan 216 & 371 beat Gloucestershire 243 & 168 by 176 runs (PTS: Glam 20, Glos 4)
Gloucestershire's wait for a victory at Cheltenham continues as Glamorgan dealt a serious blow to their promotion hopes with a 176-run victory.
Another batting collapse saw a game which the home side were in control of on the first morning slide away to a crushing defeat. Gloucestershire conceded 16-points to their promotion rivals.
Their batting again crumbled around a dramatic sense of panic, with five wickets going down for the addition of just nine runs in 57 balls. All after another solid start. The second half-century opening stand of the match was thanks to Will Porterfield's positive play.
The Ireland captain played aggressively and although he didn't make the most of his opportunities - admittedly receiving an excellent delivery from Huw Waters in the first innings - he did provide impetus that has been lacking from the Gloucestershire top order all season.
Jon Batty played two identical innings - both abject failures. Beginning solidly, hitting a boundary or two, before becoming tied down and relying on back-foot play. Both his dismissals came as a result of not getting onto the front-foot.
Consecutive collapses is extremely worrying for Gloucestershire, who now must beat Worcestershire to realistically stay in the promotion race.
Their other worry is against lower-order batting. Regularly teams rally after losing cheap wickets in the middle order and Gloucestershire allow teams off the hook. This occurred twice at Cheltenham, as Glamorgan added 242 runs for the last three wickets over both innings - take those runs out of the game and this match could have been very different.
As it transpired, Glamorgan showed more fight when it was required and their match got better and better. Mark Cosgrove's wonderful knock on day two was complimented by Mark Wallace helping himself to a hundred on the third morning, for a match haul of 185 runs.
Those who dared to dream the second-highest chase at Cheltenham could be achieved were woken up abruptly by James Harris' and Waters' devastating burst. The match finished in triumphant fashion for the Welsh County with Robert Croft's first career hat-trick.
Official report: www.gloscricket.co.uk
Gloucestershire's wait for a victory at Cheltenham continues as Glamorgan dealt a serious blow to their promotion hopes with a 176-run victory.
Another batting collapse saw a game which the home side were in control of on the first morning slide away to a crushing defeat. Gloucestershire conceded 16-points to their promotion rivals.
Their batting again crumbled around a dramatic sense of panic, with five wickets going down for the addition of just nine runs in 57 balls. All after another solid start. The second half-century opening stand of the match was thanks to Will Porterfield's positive play.
The Ireland captain played aggressively and although he didn't make the most of his opportunities - admittedly receiving an excellent delivery from Huw Waters in the first innings - he did provide impetus that has been lacking from the Gloucestershire top order all season.
Jon Batty played two identical innings - both abject failures. Beginning solidly, hitting a boundary or two, before becoming tied down and relying on back-foot play. Both his dismissals came as a result of not getting onto the front-foot.
Consecutive collapses is extremely worrying for Gloucestershire, who now must beat Worcestershire to realistically stay in the promotion race.
Their other worry is against lower-order batting. Regularly teams rally after losing cheap wickets in the middle order and Gloucestershire allow teams off the hook. This occurred twice at Cheltenham, as Glamorgan added 242 runs for the last three wickets over both innings - take those runs out of the game and this match could have been very different.
As it transpired, Glamorgan showed more fight when it was required and their match got better and better. Mark Cosgrove's wonderful knock on day two was complimented by Mark Wallace helping himself to a hundred on the third morning, for a match haul of 185 runs.
Those who dared to dream the second-highest chase at Cheltenham could be achieved were woken up abruptly by James Harris' and Waters' devastating burst. The match finished in triumphant fashion for the Welsh County with Robert Croft's first career hat-trick.
Official report: www.gloscricket.co.uk
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