The last home game and a potential wooden-spoon decider, with Derbyshire
just a point ahead, although with a game in hand. The return of Graeme van
Buuren to strengthen the side, but Ed Middleton coming in because Zaman Akhtar
is the latest bowler to fall and, although Matt Taylor was named in the XIII,
there was never a realistic chance that he would be able to play.
With only a game against Sussex to come, this is the best chance of a
maiden win after the disappointment of the Leicestershire game.
Day 1
Murky grey skies and the floodlights on,
casting shadows dark enough to make an umpire twitchy about the light. Graeme
van Buuren was back as captain and won the Toss, choosing to bat. He was not to
know that the team would respond with arguably their best batting performance
of the season.
Unlike the light, the batsmen made a bright
start after two initial maidens from Sam Conners. Fifteen from a Pat Brown
over, including two boundaries to Ben Charlesworth and a ball sprayed down leg
for four byes certainly helped. After seven overs, the umpires took the players
off and, with thunder around, the covers came on, rapidly followed by the first
tarpaulins over the run-ups. 32-0, Charlesworth 18*, Dent 8*. Soon, heavy rain
was falling, and the full square was being covered.
Back came the players after an early Lunch,
with sunshine breaking through and altogether more attractive conditions for
batting. Chris Dent brought up the fifty with a neat clip off his legs through
Mid-Wicket. Pat Brown offered Chris Dent width and he crunched the ball through
the Covers. Again, Chris Dent was looking set for a big innings: his First
Class average of just 31.5 over the last 12 months has been well below his career
average, This time he got to 41 before pushing at a ball outside off to Lewis Reece
that was pouched comfortably behind. 80-1 in the twentieth over. And another
nice-looking innings that failed to turn into a major score.
In came James Bracey and got off the mark
with an edged boundary first ball. Lewis Reece, though, did not take long to
despatch Ben Charlesworth, edging low to Second Slip. 85-2, Charlesworth too
had done the hard work, but had fallen for 30. Up came the hundred in the twenty-fifth
over with an elegant James Bracey push into the Covers while, at the other end,
Ollie Price was reverse-sweeping the spinner whenever he could. Everyone was
shaping nicely, but, so far, no one was going on to a major score. James Bracey
pushed forward to Anuj Dal and heard an explosion of stumps and bails behind.
It was a lovely delivery but, at 128-3, with Bracey out for 23, the innings was
threatening, once again, to tail-off well short of 300. Ollie Price, though,
was batting like a million dollars and Miles Hammond played some attractive
shots to take the Shire to 161-3 at Tea: Price 41*, Hammond 13*.
Miles Hammond has passed fifty six times this
season, but is yet to get a century, often perishing being aggressive but, when
Watts gave him a ball in his zone, straight after Tea, he used his feet and
hauled it far over Long Off for a towering six. Again, he played an attacking
shot to the first ball of the next over, bowled by Pat Brown. The ball took a leading
edge and went straight up, eventually being taken by the ‘keeper. 169-4, Miles
Hammond 21 and a fourth batsman out after getting past twenty, without going on
to a fifty. In came Graeme van Buuren who straight drove his first ball imperiously
for four and, after an exchange of singles, despatched his third ball in the
same fashion: 9 runs from his first 3 balls. In previous seasons, the batsmen
have looked scared to play their shots; without wanting to use the “Baz” word,
this season they have tended to go a little to the other extreme, losing
wickets to aggressive shots when a little caution might have been better
advised. Today, though, the score continued to rattle along at a healthy 4-an-over,
mostly without excessive risks. Up came the Ollie Price 50 from 71 balls (8x4)
and then the 200 in the 49th over to a Cover Drive from Ollie that
was hauled-in just short of the boundary.
Graeme van Buuren was proving a solid and
aggressive foil, becoming the sixth batsman to reach 20 and doing it at a
run-a-ball. Perhaps sensing the chance to make it count, the scoring slowed almost
to nothing for about half an hour before Graeme van Buuren decided that he was
ready. Mark Watt was pulled for four to bring up the fifty partnership. The
first ball of his next over was slogged over Wide Mid-On for six. Quick singles
were taken aggressively. Sam Conners replaced Watt and went for ten off his
first over, straight driven by Ollie Price for one boundary and then crashed
through Point by Graeme van Buuren for another. The 250 and first batting point
came up at the start of the sixty-fifth over. This was intelligent batting of
the kind that we have seen all too rarely this season. Alex Thomson overpitched
and Graeme van Buuren hammered him over Long On for another six to reach his
fifty (68 balls, 6x4, 2x6). Up came the century partnership in 146 balls. A
sweep for four took Ollie to 90. Finally, yet another sweep for four took him
to his century from 155 balls with 13x4. Then the reverse sweep came our to
bring up the 300 and second batting point. Van Buuren almost Chinese Cut onto
his stumps, but got three for it, then dabbed a more conventional boundary.
Runs were flowing fast.
Four overs to go in the day, 317-4. Play for
the Close? Ollie took a thick edge for one boundary, bringing up the 150
partnership in the process, then a lovely Square Cut for another, next ball. A
single and Graeme van Buuren was back on strike. Anuj Dal pitched one on middle
that hit the top of off and van Buuren was out for a superb 78 and the score
read 325-5. Dal had produced two magnificent wicket-taking balls and, with just
seven balls of the day left, added a third, as Zafar pushed at a wide ball that
moved away from him a fraction and edged a very low catch behind. 332-6.
Out came Ed Middleton, on debut, but Ollie
Price saw out the final over of the day, taking a single from the last delivery
so that the debutant will not need to face the first ball tomorrow.
332-6 at the Close. A fine day for the Shire,
who should add at least a third batting point tomorrow.
Day 2
A grey, overcast day. Ollie Price on 125*,
but only the tail to support him. First priority, the 350 and the third batting
point. The fourth batting point, though, would require both Ollie Price to go
only a big hundred and someone from the tail to keep him company. A New Ball,
just three overs old and 104 overs to bowl. Two, late wickets had slowed the
Gloucestershire charge in the evening and set the pattern for the morning.
However, after the first half of the day definitely went Derbyshire’s way, the second
half swung right back towards the Shire, who ended the day with the advantage.
Ollie Price guided the second ball of the day
down to Third Man for a boundary and Gloucestershire were up and running again.
Unfortunately, he fell in the fifth over of the day. Anuj Dal reacted
brilliantly, diving full length right in his follow-through to grab a very low
caught and bowled. Price out for 132 (194 balls, 18x4) and 341-7. A guide
through Third Man brought Ed Middleton a boundary and the 350 in the
ninety-second over. Josh Shaw has shown that he can bat effectively when he
puts his mind to it and took 15 from 5 deliveries, including a boundary clubbed
through the Covers off Dal and a nice dab through Third Man. However, the sixth
delivery of the sequence was hit back fairly hard to Sam Conners and caught
sharply, very low, by the bowler. 366-8 and the 400 looking much further away.
The runs kept coming, helter-skelter: a nice pull by Dom Goodman added another
boundary behind square. A ball down leg clipped the pad and went for four leg
byes, then Ed Middleton hit on the pad by Anuj Dal and, despite suspicions that
it was going down the leg side, was given LBW and the score had subsided to
376-9. Before Luke Charlesworth could get to the crease it was raining and the
players were taken off and, very rapidly, full covers were on. The delay was
not long, but twelve overs were lost.
The innings finished very rapidly on the
resumption, with Dom Goodman nicking Anuj Dal through to the wicket-keeper to
end the innings on 377ao and finish on 6-69. The last six wickets had fallen
for 61. Momentum had swung completely and Gloucestershire, with only three
specialist seamers, needed wickets with the New Ball.
16-0 from 5 overs at Lunch, with one very
loud Josh Shaw appeal for LBW being denied. Zafar Gohar straight into the
attack after Lunch and aiming at the footmarks with a Slip and a Short Forward
Square Leg, who rapidly became aware of the perils of his position, by being
hit painfully on the leg. The batsmen progressed serenely, with no major alarms:
that Josh Shaw was bowling with just a single Slip showed how much confidence
there was that still new ball would take wickets. However, he was economical,
with his seven overs around Lunch going for just 16. Up came the 50 in the 14th
over with a slog-sweep that, once again, had Short Forward Square Leg thinking
about his life insurance. Zafar’s response was a wonderful ball that turned
inside the bat and just missed the stumps.
On came Luke Charlesworth to replace Shaw. He
should have got Harry Came but, on 62-0, James Bracey missed a routine edge,
with the ‘keeper slightly misjudging his dive. Came was then on 39. James
Bracey has been so reliable this season that it was a real surprise to see him
miss one. With Zafar being attacked, Ed Middleton was brought into the attack
to bowl his leg spin, delivering a tidy first over that produced some turn. Not
a bad start for the debutant. Luke Charlesworth saw another drop as Miles
Hammond could not quite hold a hard cut from Lewis Reece, although it would
have been a miraculous catch had it stuck. Then Ed Middleton pinned Lewis
Reece, but the impact was outside the line, so the batsman survived. It could
have been 66-3 but, instead, the scoreboard read 66-0.
After bowling five overs for ten runs, Ed
Middleton’s sixth over was expensive as a full toss was hammered for four and
then another overpitched ball went for a maximum. He was rested and replaced
with Ollie Price who almost struck immediately as the ball was guided just
short of Ben Charlesworth at Short Forward Square. In his second over the ball
lobbed up to Slip but had just missed the inside edge on the way to the
thighpad. However, with the hundred up, as well as the individual fifties of
both openers, Graeme van Buuren had a real problem. 128-0 at Tea and that 377ao
was looking smaller by the hour.
Finally, the wicket came. A full delivery from
Luke Charlesworth. Harry Came played across it and was given LBW. 132-1 and
Came out for 68. Still the score mounted. Finally, Dom Goodman bounced Lewis
Reece, who hooked him straight down Zafar Gohar’s throat: 169-2. If one wicket
had not brought two, at least both openers were out, and the lead was still
208. A third wicket then fell as Brooke Guest at the non-striker’s end hesitated
over what should have been a sharp, but safe single and was runout – more like
electroculted – by Miles Hammond’s direct throw from Point. Guest out for 15,
177-3 and the scoreboard looking rather healthier. Finally, the momentum was
beginning to swing a little. Just after the 200 came up, Wayne Madsen tried to
sweep Zafar and was given LBW to Zafar’s delight. 203-4, Madsen 11.
Another wicket and Gloucestershire would be
thinking of a first innings lead. With increasing turn for the spinners, there
was the encouragement of bowling last on the pitch. However, yet another mini-stand
built up, this time between Leus du Plooy and Matthew Lamb. Up came the 250,
but Zafar was definitely causing problems and first caught a leading edge that
fell safe and then, ripped one across Lamb. Seven overs left in the day. The
stand approaching fifty. Gloucestershire needing at least one wicket before the
Close. Ed Middleton back, turned a leg break a long way and cut du Plooy in two:
his pre-delivery routine, spinning catches from right hand to left even as he
started his run, was mesmeric. He certainly seemed not to be overawed, trying
different variations and bowling good line and length. With six overs to go,
and Derbyshire looking to get to the Close with no further loss, Matthew Lamb
went after Zafar Gohar and hit the ball straight to Chris Dent at Short
Mid-Wicket. Not bright cricket. Thanks very much. Lamb out for 24, 252-5.
Slowly, the bowlers were working their way
through the batting. And nightwatchman Sam Conners was in, with overs still to
bowl before the Close, and a cluster of fielders around the bat. Zafar spun a
ball across him. Conners apparently got a fine edge as he came forward. James
Bracey took off the bails like lightning, everyone appealed to the Square Leg
umpire and both umpires gave him out. In the end, the caught happened before the
stumping, so was the one that went into the book. 255-6. 3 overs to go. An Ed
Middleton delivery turned and climbed, James Bracey only half stopping it as it
beat everything. Suddenly, every delivery was an event. A Zafar delivery turned
and, this one kept low but was just about kept out. 261-6 at the Close. 116
behind. The New Ball approaching and not a lot of batting to come.
Increasing turn. Variable bounce. Batting
will be getting very interesting on Day 4. If Gloucestershire can get a lead of
50 or 60 tomorrow, dare we hope?
Day 3:
A grey and wet morning. No play before Lunch,
with a 13:10 start declared but conditions threatening as the start time
arrived. With more time lost, Gloucestershire need to finish the Derbyshire innings
quickly and set about building a lead for a declaration before the Close. 72
overs to bowl and the threat that the game could peter-out into a draw. What
no one expected was the drama that would surround Ed Middleton’s maiden First
Class wicket as rain wrecked the chances of a positive result.
Zafar and Middleton opening the attack. Leus Du
Plooy taking an Off Stump guard to Ed Middleton, who could aim for the rough to
the left hander, something that Zafar had to be careful with against the
righthander because the new leg side wide rule meant that he had absolutely no
margin for error: anything even marginally wide being called by the umpire. The
first five overs produced a bit of everything: runs, false shots, and the
occasional delivery of absolutely ripping turn. Du Plooy tucked a ball to leg
to bring up an excellent 50 that was threatening to stop Gloucestershire’s
victory ambitions in their tracks.
The New Ball was taken at 80 overs, with Josh
Shaw sharing it with Zafar. In his first over he saw one ball turn big off
straight and another that was edged, low, between the two Slips, neither of whom
could reach it. Nine from Zafar’s over, but signs that batting was going to get
no easier. In his fourth over with the New Ball, Zafar tried an arm ball that
went straight through Anuj Dal and bowled him: Zafar 4-88, 292/7, 85 behind and
into the tail. Could it be removed quickly?
The answer was, as it has been on other
occasions, a resounding “no!” There were plenty of good deliveries, but enough
loose ones that the score kept mounting and Gloucestershire’s potential lead
and chances of making something happen with it, shrinking fast. Up came the 300
and Leus du Plooy was moving through the seventies and looking, quite obviously,
for a century, while Alex Thomson kept him company ably. On came Ed Middleton
and Dom Goodman, but the good balls kept missing both the stumps and the edge
of the bat. Alex Thomson offered a very tough chance to Miles Hammond at Square
Leg, but he could not quite hang on. To add insult to injury, the ball went for
four. 336-7 and victory chances disappearing by the minute. Then Dom Goodman bounced
Alex Thomson, who hooked. The ball lobbed up. Ollie Price took it and let out a
loud cry of “YEEEEESSSS”, but it was judged to have hit the forearm. Goodman
bounced him again in the same over and, this time, Thompson hooked it for four.
350 up in the 101st over, then the
fifty partnership and Derbyshire looking at a first innings lead themselves.
Batting was looking as comfortable as at any time in the match. Worst still,
the increasing threat of missing the third bowling point. Finally, Dom Goodman
tried another short ball and Thomson hooked it straight down the throat of
Miles Hammond. 357-8. Derbyshire now just 20 behind. In came the burly Watt,
who got a short one first ball and, quite obviously, was discomforted by it,
twisting out of the way in ungainly fashion. That led to a third, consecutive
bouncer, a No Ball and an informal warning. However, when the ball is in Mark
Watt’s half, he hits it… hard. Up came parity with a Mark Watt single. Then
there was a very loud LBW appeal against du Plooy and, finally, another LBW appeal
(hit well outside off) and the run that put Derbyshire ahead. Four overs to go
to get that ninth wicket and Derbyshire looking at a fourth batting point.
Last over before Tea. Leus du Plooy charged
down the track, but just about got an inside edge on the ball and saw it
trickle far enough away from the waiting James Bracey to be safe. 388-8 at Tea.
2 overs left for bonus points and du Plooy on 97*.
Second ball after Tea, Du Plooy went for the
big hit from Ollie Price and got just enough on it to clear Zafar and trickle
over the boundary: that was his century, 151 balls, 13x4. With 4 balls left for
the 110 overs, at 394-8, the umpires decided that the light was too bad to
continue. With some spots of rain in the air, on came the covers and two
tarpaulins.
16:30 re-start. Nine more overs lost. And the
draw looking increasingly like the only possible result.
So, four more deliveries for points. No
pressure Ed Middleton, but now would be a good moment for your maiden First
Class wicket. Seven catches spun between his hands, plus an eighth as he ran
in. A swing from Mark Watt. A Chinese cut and the ball squirted out behind him.
Then a slashing square cut for 4. One ball left. Two runs or a wicket needed
for points. More mesmeric tossing from hand to hand, including that final,
small toss after he started his run. Had he hypnotised the batsman? Whatever
the reason, Mark Watt charged down the pitch and missed. James Bracey dropped
the ball, but the batsman was so far out of his ground that he had time to bend
down, pick it up and whip off the bails, which, to his credit, he did in a
lightning movement. Mark Watt stumped for 19. The third bowling bonus point. Ed
Middleton’s maiden First Class wicket and what a bit of drama. Just reward for
some fine and very brave bowling. And, of course, with dark shadows from the
floodlights surrounding the players, the umpires took the players off again
before the final batsman could come out. And back on came the covers. How’s
that for drama?
And this time, down came the rain and on came
the full covers. And this time it was terminal. Ed Middleton, your timing was
IMPECABLE!
Day 4
With so much time lost to rain, the Derbyshire
tail wagging furiously, and only 96 overs to bowl, only some very bad cricket
could produce a result. So, in all probability this would be a matter of seeing
out time before the 5 o’clock handshake. The first order of business was to
finish the Derbyshire innings and limit their lead because, if it grew much
more, Derbyshire might just have sneaking thoughts of the possibilities of
bowling out Gloucestershire quickly. What no one anticipated was that, for much
of the afternoon, a Derbyshire win would look like a good each-way bet.
The weather, friendlier. Zafar and Ed
Middleton with the ball. Leus du Plooy added one boundary, coming down the pitch
to Ed Middleton to hit him over Long On and bring up the 400 before Zafar got a
full over at the #11 and ended the innings with a straight one that hit right
in front. 403ao. Zafar a thoroughly deserved 5-for. A Derbyshire lead of 26.
After a very quiet start, Gloucestershire
started to up the run rate, taking the lead in the tenth over. Once that formality
was dealt with, Chris Dent launched Mark Watt for a six back over his head, followed,
more unexpectedly, with a reverse sweep for four straight out of the Ollie
Price playbook. The 50 came up in the 14th over, with the batsmen
clearly seeking to play their shots and get the scoreboard moving and Derbyshire
keeping close fielders up and not adding boundary riders when Chris Dent started
playing some big shots. There was just a hint that maybe there might be an attempt
to set a target: maybe 100 ahead at Lunch and a push for quick runs after. It
never looked really likely and, some quiet overs and the fall of Ben
Charlesworth, bowled by Mark Watt attempting the reverse sweep (68-1,
Charlesworth 28) saw the run rate plummet back down again. With Lunch
approaching and the lead still under 50, any thoughts of a result seemed
condemned to be dismissed as wishful thinking. Then, last ball before Lunch,
James Bracey pushed forward to Alex Thomson and was caught at Slip for 8. 83-2,
the lead 57, 63 overs left and Derbyshire maybe eyeing an opportunity.
That opportunity got rapidly bigger as, just
four balls later, Mark Watt found big turn out of the footmarks to bowl Chris
Dent for 38. 83-3, the lead 61, and Derbyshire definitely now getting
interested. What could Ollie Price and Miles Hammond do? When Miles Hammond
edged Alex Thomson very low to Harry Came at Silly Point it was 104-4, with the
lead just 78 and not much batting left to come. It soon got worse still. Ollie
Price tried a reverse sweep, the ball lobbed up from a top edge, cannoned off the
wicket-keeper’s chest or shoulder and was caught at a very short Square Leg.
111-5, effectively 85-5. If a not particularly difficult catch behind the
wicket had been taken soon after, the situation would have been even worse. As
it was, after one successful sweep for a boundary, Zafar tried another to the
next ball from Alex Thomson and was taken at Deep Square Leg. 131-6, the lead
105 and 43 overs left, Graeme van Buuren on 11* at the other end and his side getting
close to deep trouble.
In these situations, scoring runs is as
important as conserving wickets. Twelve came off an Alex Thomson over as both
batsmen scored boundaries. 124 the lead and 41 overs to go. Would 30 more runs
be enough? Derbyshire tried a burst of pace with Pat Brown, who Ed Middleton
took for a lovely, driven boundary. 159-6, 133 ahead, 37 overs to go and
Middleton more than holding his own. 169-6 at Tea. 143 the lead. 32 overs to
go. Graeme van Buuren, 23*, Ed Middleton 26*. The match almost safe, but then,
it never should have been in danger.
After Tea, the batsmen started to add quick
runs as if chasing a declaration! In reality, with the overs counting down,
every boundary made the prospect of a Derbyshire run case more unlikely, even
if the last four wickets went down extremely quickly. With 22 overs available
to bat, the lead was 170 and getting towards being a fair T20 chase. Up came
the 200 with an edge through the slips. By now the body language was saying
that Derbyshire had given up on this one and, finally, with just 16 over left,
the captains shook on the draw.
Gloucestershire finished on 208/6d, with
Graeme van Buuren 48* and Ed Middleton, 39* and showing himself to be a good
man in a crisis. And the sad fact remained that Gloucestershire ended up
fighting for a draw in a match in which, after two days, they looked a fair bet
for a win.
With just one match left and a point behind
Derbyshire, who have a game in hand, as do Yorkshire, the wooden spoon looks an
all too real possibility.
