Adobe Flash Plug-in Needed
This website requires a Adobe Flash plug-in. Please download the latest version of the Flash plug-in by clicking here
Gloucestershire Gladiators v Middlesex Panthers
27/06/2010
Friends Provident Trophy South Division
At Bristol
By Richard Latham
Spinners Richard Dawson and Aaron Redmond were the key men as Gloucestershire returned to winning ways in the Friends Provident t20 competition with a four-run success against Middlesex.
It was the team's first 20-over victory at Bristol this season and only their third in ten Friends Provident games.
The home side posted 153-6 after losing the toss, Hamish Marshall making 52 not out and Alex Gidman 42. There were two wickets each for Pedro Collins and Tim Murtagh.
Middlesex looked favourites until Dawson (2-20) and Redmond (1-26) bowled eight tight overs of spin in mid-innings, helping to restrict the visitors to 149-7.
Dawid Malan hit 44 off 39 balls, with 5 fours, but lacked support as Gloucestershire bowled tightly and fielded sharply in support of their attack.
David Payne claimed 2-38 on his t20 debut, taking the key wickets of Australian David Warner, brilliantly caught at short third-man by Anthony Ireland, and Owais Shah.
Dawson sent back the dangerous Tyrone Henderson and Neil Dexter, while leg-spinner Redmond’s dismissal of Josh Davey was his first wicket since joining Gloucestershire for the remainder of the competition last week.
The Panthers needed 12 off the last over, but Steve Kirby bowled Malan with the first delivery, leaping high in the air to celebrate.
In his previous over Malan had broken a bat, the blade flying up the pitch towards the bowler, while the handle remained in his hand.
Kirby knew that the dismissal was vital to the result and then kept the ball full to ensure there were no boundaries.
Earlier, the Gladiators had lost openers Will Porterfield and Redmond with only 24 runs on the board.
Porterfield pulled a catch to deep mid-wicket off Collins and Redmond was caught behind driving at Henderson.
It was 44-3 when James Franklin, on 22, over-stretched to a delivery from Neil Dexter and was stumped by Ben Scott.
Marshall survived a caught and bowled chance to Tom Smith on ten and went on to share a fourth-wicket stand of 94 with skipper Gidman, who hit sixes off Smith and Murtagh in his 33-ball innings before being caught at long-on.
Marshall reached his half-century off 38 balls, with 2 fours and a six, but Dawson and Abdul-Kadeer Ali perished in the bid for quick end of innings runs and Murtagh produced a tight last over.
Defeat cost Middlesex the chance of joining the clubs on ten points in the South Division, while the result took Gloucestershire to six points from ten games and kept their hopes of a top four finish alive.
