One Day Cup Semi-Final Leicestershire v Gloucestershire, 29/08/2023

A season that started promisingly, with Gloucestershire taking their unbeaten Championship run to eight games, nosed-dived with four defeats in the next six games. The Blast was, not unexpectedly for a side short on big names and injury-crippled, mediocre but, the One Day Cup looked to many, pre-season to be the best chance of success given that the Hundred levels the playing field between the richer and the poorer of the counties. Even there, after two opening wins, two heavy defeats made qualification very much an uphill battle. However, four straight wins and then a thumping win over Lancashire, with fine form shown, particularly by Ollie Price (553 runs make him the third highest scorer in the competition), backed up by a James Bracey double century, two centuries from Jack Taylor (who seems to thrive in this competition) and centuries from Miles Hammond, Graeme van Buuren and Ben Wells have seen Gloucestershire through to a Semi-Final and a real chance of their first silverware since 2015.

However, it was not to be although, at one point, it looked as if Gloucestershire might be able to defend a small total.

Five players were side-lined by injury, but David Payne bowled with some success against Lancashire, the first occasion that he has been asked to bowl more than four overs this season and again has shown some encouraging form. So, the squad was the same as against Lancashire. The main question may be one of whether or not to go with the same XI, or to include Zafar Gohar. In the end, Zafar missed out.

With Warwickshire only able to offer token resistance in the first Semi-Final, a Final against Hampshire beckoned. What no one reckoned with, though, was that after Lewis Hill won the Toss and inserted in gloomy conditions, Gloucestershire would stutter to 125ao on a day when batting rarely easy, particularly against the New Ball. The only time when batting looked reasonably straightforward was when the seam had flattened.

James Bracey, Ollie, and Tom Price all got starts, but only Graeme van Buuren would threaten to make a significant score. When he fell at 124-9, any faint hopes of a competitive total disappeared with him. The damage had been done in the first five overs. With Gloucestershire 23-3 and Milles Hammond, James Bracey, and Harry Tector all back in the pavilion, someone had to do something special to save the situation.

In these situations, Ollie Price has usually been the man that Gloucestershire have looked to. He batted sensibly with Graeme van Buuren and, together, they seemed to be stabilising the innings before he went for a big hit over Mid-On, top-edged Josh Hull horribly and Wiaan Mulder took the catch when the ball finally came back down. That was 62-4, which rapidly became 63-5. Jack Taylor was close to edging an expansive drive to the ‘keeper second ball, lobbed a top edge just safe and then, finally, was comprehensively bowled by Matt Salisbury to his sixth delivery. Batting was tough.

Tom Price and Graeme van Buuren tried to rescue the situation, but a stand of 36 was just not enough. At 99-6 it was just a question of scratching what runs could be found and hoping for a miracle. Unfortunately, the tail failed to wag, and the last five wickets added just 26 runs. Graeme van Buuren fell to a catch behind attacking a wide ball and Paul van Meekeren attempted a ramp shot, toe-ended to Third Man. As the players came off, the rain came down and an hour and three-quarters were lost.

Defending 125, you need a devastating start. David Payne and Tom Price provided one. Leicestershire were 13-3 in the fourth over with Ollie Price taking two catches off David Payne and one off Tom Price. When Anwar Ali pinned Colin Ackermann LBW, Leicestershire had fallen to 33-4 at the end of the twelfth over and in real danger of falling short. Gloucestershire were one wicket short of causing panic, but that wicket never came. There were multiple close shouts that could have put Leicestershire under real pressure but, as the shine came off the ball and the seam flattened, batting got easier than it had been at any time. Peter Hanscomb and Wiaan Mulder saw off the storm and, as they joined together in a stand of 93, ended up reaching the target with minimum fuss and more than 21 overs to spare.

For Gloucestershire it was a case of so near and yet so far. However, the campaign has provided many positives and has left batsmen who were short of runs and confidence in better heart for the Championship run-in.