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Gloucestershire Gladiators v Essex Eagles
23/06/2010
Friends Provident t20. South Division.
At Bristol
By Richard Latham
Gloucestershire face a big task to reach the Friends Provident t20 quarter-finals after suffering a sixth defeat in eight South Division games against Essex at Bristol.
The Gladiators could make only 118 all out in reply to the visitors’ 184-4 and remain anchored to the bottom of the table, four points behind the Eagles having played a game more.
It was another comprehensive defeat following the seven-wicket hammering by Hampshire Royals and a major improvement in form will be needed if Gloucestershire are to make up lost ground.
Chris Dent again demonstrated his talent with 31 in difficult circumstances, while Chris Taylor, the pick of Gladiators batsmen in the competition so far, ended up last man out for 32.
But for the second successive game Gloucestershire were bowled out in less than their allotted 20 overs, this time through a succession of skied catches, all of which their opponents held.
Director of cricket John Bracewell was more concerned at letting Essex get too many runs. He told this website: "We had to bat fearlessly in the face of such a big target and we did.
"It may not have looked good, but I would have been far more annoyed had we settled for getting 140 while never attempting to win the game.
"Our bowlers are getting a bit emotional and trying too hard to take wickets. That comes from losing games and we have to get on a roll quickly if we are to make something of the second half of our fixtures.
"We are not bowling as a pack as we can do and it's a problem we need to address quickly. A couple of wins in succession can change things quickly, but we have to get those wins sooner, rather than later."
Jon Lewis was again asked to open the innings, as he had done in the victory over Sussex at Hove, but he fell for a duck in the opening over sent down by Scott Styris.
It was always an uphill battle for Gloucestershire after skipper Will Porterfield was run out attempting a third run to deep mid-on to make it 24-2
Hamish Marshall and James Franklin both got starts, only to be caught on the boundary, but Dent provided momentary cheer with a six off Ravi Bopara as he made his runs off 24 balls, with 2 fours.
Taylor only faced 23 deliveries and not for the first time was given too little support in a sorry batting effort.
Earlier, Essex had made a poor start to their innings with Bopara run out off the third ball by a direct hit from James Franklin at mid-off.
But Alastair Cook and Matthew Walker soon repaired the damage, adding 63 in eight overs.
Cook hit a Gemaal Hussain full toss over mid-wicket for six and also hit 3 fours in making 38 off 32 balls before top edging a short one from Franklin to cover.
The real acceleration came when Walker and Styris plundered 60 in four overs between the 13th and 16th, with Styris twice lifting the off-spin of Abdul-Kadeer Ali for straight sixes as he made 41 off just 21 balls.
It was 147-3 when the New Zealander fell to Franklin having faced only 21 deliveries. Walker followed with the total on 165, having reached a fluent half-century off 34 balls, with 8 fours.
Hussain went for 42 off his four overs. Lewis was the pick of the Gloucestershire bowlers, conceding only 19 from his full stint.
