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    County Championship - 11 April 2019

    Match drawn

    Venue: Bristol County Ground

    Gloucestershire v Derbyshire

    Day 4

    Three years ago almost to the day, Derbyshire batsman Wayne Madsen scored an unbeaten second innings century at Bristol to secure his side a draw. Now 35, Madsen exceeded that effort on a chilly Sunday with 204 not out to block any hope of a Gloucestershire victory, in doing so passing 15,000 runs for Derbyshire in all cricket.

    The visitors had stated the day with a lead of 38, and only 13 runs had been added when a spectacular catch by Chris Dent off Benny Howell removed Tom Lace for 57, his second half century of the match. 

    Thereafter however, Madsen and Alex Hughes first soaked up valuable time and then went on to break Derbyshire's record fourth wicket stand at Bristol, which had stood since 1901. 

    When the players shook hands, Madsen had batted for seven and a half hours, and Hughes completed his own unbeaten hundred to take the visitors to 388-3 declared, 329 runs in front.

     

    Gloucestershire began the final day needing to change the tempo of the match in order to win it. Neither side had enjoyed a long period of supremacy, and a modest run rate on an increasingly docile wicket suggested it would be hard for either side to force a result. Gloucestershire's chances weren't helped by the abscence of Josh Shaw from the attack because of injury.

    Derbyshire resumed at 97-2 in their second innings, Middlesex loanee Tom Lace completing his second fifty of the match in the fourth over. If Gloucestershire were looking for some inspiration to give them an early lift, skipper Chris Dent provided it with a flying effort at slip off Howell to split Derbyshire's overnight pair and leave Lace heading for the pavilion in disbelief for 57.

    Their net advantage at that stage was 51 with seven wickets in hand, but Madsen was in no mood to allow Gloucestershire to chip away at the middle order. At one stage he batted for 39 overs without striking a boundary, reaching his fifty from 145 balls. 

    Partner Hughes showed a little more intent, once using his feet to Higgins to whip the all rounder to the boundary at mid wicket. Without Shaw, Benny Howell economically stepped into the third seamer role but when he was replaced Hughes struck the first six of the match over deep square leg off Harry Hankins.

    With so much time to play their shots, some gentle turn for Graeme van Buuren also did little to trouble Derbyshire until lunch, when the fourth wicket pair had added 76 in almost equal shares. The lead was to 127, and the outcome of the match looked increasingly inevitable.

    What was unexpected was the speed with which Madsen completed his hundred, capitalising on a loose first over from Miles Hammond to plunder three boundaries.  It took 219 balls in all, but Madsen's second fifty had taken only 74 deliveries as he reached three figures after almost five hours at the crease and, neatly, in the final over before the second new ball was due.

    Higgins and Matt Taylor tried again for a breakthrough without any joy, and thereafter skipper Chris Dent was realistic in asking van Buuren and Hammond to bowl the bulk of the remaining overs as Madsen and Hughes batted in untroubled fashion to close out the draw, the experienced Madsen ticking up a third half century from a further 72 deliveries with five additional boundaries. 

    Hughes, who signed a new three year contract at Derby during the winter, also showed good concentration after reaching his own half half century to press relentlessly on towards his own hundred, which was sealed after a misfield from 211 balls with eleven fours and a six.

    Madsen, however, wasn't finished, and with liberal use of the reverse sweep his progress from 150-200 was his fastest fifty of the four, coming in only 52 balls. In all, he hit 21 boundaries.

    Gloucestershire take 11 points from their first Championship outing of the season, one in which Harry Hankins made his debut. He bowled 33 overs in the match without taking a wicket, but will have learned a lot about how controlled spells are needed throughout a day's play on pitches which offer little assistance. 

    Championship cricket is now put to one side until the trip to Glamorgan in mid May. Over the next three weeks, the 50-over Royal London Cup takes centre stage, with Gloucestershire starting their South Group matches against Surrey at the Bristol County Ground on Wednesday.

    Day 3

    In a game that has been evenly contested throughout, Gloucestershire wicket keeper Gareth Roderick fell agonisingly short of his first Championship century since the 2016 Cheltenham Festival on the third day of 2019's opening fixture against Derbyshire at the Bristol County Ground.

    Having batted for five and a half hours, umpire David Millns' finger was raised as Roderick played forward to Logan van Beek on 98 and saw the ball loop gently into the the hands of Derbyshire 'keeper Harvey Hosein. He had faced 238 balls and struck nine boundaries.

    Roderick had been part of a sixth wicket of 118 with Ryan Higgins (74) which had taken Gloucestershire a long way towards Derbyshire's first innings score, and with the help of the tail a first innings lead of 59 was established in mid afternoon. 

    Matt Taylor's dismissal of Reece with his second delivery prompted thoughts of a tactical swing in the game by the close, but even though Ryan Higgins removed Godelman shortly after tea, Wayne Madsen and Tom Lace resisted for almost two hours to take Derbyshire ahead overall and reach 97-2 at stumps, a lead of 38.

    Watch Gareth Roderick's thoughts on his day here:

    Gloucestershire began Saturday's play still in arrears and needing to ensure Derbyshire didn't secure the sort of lead that, with time, could see them dictate the game tactically over the last two days. Roderick and Ryan Higgins had done well on the second evening, but now had to deal with the second new ball although in the end it produced little in the way of devilment for either batsman.

    Higgins, batting positively, twice worked Rampaul through mid wicket and his half century - from only 68 balls with eight fours - came from a drive down the ground off the same bowler. Both he and Roderick showed sound technique, and Derbyshire were soon down to only one slip but not even an increasingly defensive field could stop the Gloucestershire 'keeper clipping Reece past mid wicket to complete a fifty that had contained seven fours.

    The century partnership had taken 31 overs, and almost everything was finding the middle of the bat until 25 minutes before lunch when Higgins' confidence was undone as he played around a full length ball from Luis Reece and lost his leg stump.

    His contribution (74) brought Gloucestershire to within one run of parity at lunch with four wickets in hand, and the sub plot was now whether Roderick's stoic concentration would see him through to his hundred.

    A lovely drive off leg spinner Critchley took him in the eighties before Graeme van Buuren was lbw to a Rampaul delivery which kept lower than he expected, and he still needed eight more runs when Josh Shaw clipped Rampaul to van Beek at mid wicket. 

    Matt Taylor eased Roderick slowly towards his target only for van Beek's fourth ball of a new spell to spoil the story and leave Gloucestershire nine overs to bowl at Derbyshire's openers in a short session before tea after Harry Hankins was last out. With 350 runs on the board the lead was 59, and Roderick was quickly in the action again as Reece edged Matt Taylor's second delivery to the 'keeper without scoring.

    Derbyshire avoided any further alarms until the interval, but Higgins removed captain Godelman in his second over following the resumption with Derbyshire still 41 runs in arrears, Roderick again taking the catch.

    Thereafter Wayne Madsen and Tom Lace - two right handers at opposite ends of the experience spectrum - thwarted six Gloucestershire bowlers across the remaining 29 overs. 

    Lace, in particular, let the ball come to him, guiding, dabbing and occasionally driving Derbyshire into a position where they went ahead overall with 13 overs left, and by the close the third wicket paid had added 79 with Lace only two runs short of his second half century in the match. The visitors will resume on 97-2, with Gloucestershire needing a cluster of early wickets to have a chance of pushing for victory.

    Day 2

    Left hander James Bracey's innings of 65 held Gloucestershire's top order together as they  found themselves on the back foot against Derbyshire in their opening Championship fixture at the Bristol County Ground.

    Resuming at 256-7, Derbyshire lost their last three wickets for 35 runs in the first hour as Gloucestershire wrapped up their full quota of bowling points and dismissed their visitors for 291.

    In reply Miles Hammond was out before lunch, which was taken at 26-1, but after it Bracey scored briskly as Derbyshire at times lacked the accuracy in length and direction displayed by Gloucestershire earlier in the match.

    His half century came off only 57 balls and contained ten fours, only for a well judged catch at point by Anuj Dal off Palladino to send him to the pavilion in the second over after tea.

    Gloucestershire had lost two wickets in the afternoon session, and with Benny Howell the only other batsman out,  Gareth Roderick and Ryan Higgins added 45 together for the sixth wicket until bad light forced the players off three overs early with Gloucestershire 202-5, 89 runs behind.

    Watch James Bracey's close of play interview here:

    Gloucestershire began the day looking to limit the impact on the scoreboard of the Derbyshire tail, and Ryan Higgins broke the overnight eighth wicket stand in the second over, Anul Dal being adjudged lbw to a ball that kept lower than he expected.

    Derbyshire had to make 44 in 14 overs if they wanted another batting point, but it took until the ninth over for Logan van Beek to work Matt Taylor past cover for the first boundary. It was a positive stroke, but his judgement was flawed shortly afterwards as he left a ball from Taylor which knocked out his middle stump.  
    They still required 34 when Rampaul joined Palladino, but the last wicket pair added 25 until Benny Howell's introduction in the 110th over, Rampaul steering his second delivery into the hands of skipper Chris Dent at second slip. 

    Derbyshire's Director of Cricket David Houghton had pronounced 300 a par first innings score on Thursday evening, so with his side only nine runs short they appeared well in the game as Gloucestershire set out with 80 overs batting ahead of them on the day.

    The initial target was to reach lunch with the openers still together, only for Miles Hammond to push as Luis Reece's second delivery and Wayne Madsen took a routine catch at slip.

    Chris Dent had only ten runs to his name from an hour's batting when he and James Bracey resumed after lunch, and progress remained slow until a flurry of boundaries by Bracey off van Beek and Rampaul in quick succession, the latter conceding three in one over. Both bowlers offered width outside off stump, and having scored two centuries in pre season, the 21 year old left hander took full advantage to substantially raise the run rate.

    Dent was the supporting partner in a second wicket stand of 84 until, after more than two hours graft, he dragged a ball from Hughes back onto his stumps with 33 against his name. Eight balls later, George Hankins lobbed a gentle catch to Lace off Reece, leaving wicket keeper Gareth Roderick and Bracey with some rebuilding to do under greying skies.

    Gloucestershire still trailed by 181 as the day's final session started, so Bracey's dismissal almost immediately was a significant blow. The response however, was a counter attack from the middle order, anchored at one end by Roderick and driven from the other by Benny Howell and Ryan Higgins.

    Howell made 25, twice despatching both van Beek and Hughes to the off side boundary before the New Zealand born seamer teased him again, Howell misjudging a drive which lobbed up gently to Critchley at cover. Higgins, however, showed similar verve in pulling van Beek for four to get off the mark and driving Anul Dal - the eighth Derbyshire bowler used - down the ground to bring up the Gloucestershire 200 shortly before the close.

    He finished the day 33 not out, as did Roderick, who had batted five minutes longer than skipper Dent for the same score. It had been another day of ebb and flow, with the balance of affairs hinging on how Gloucestershire handle the second new ball on Saturday morning.

     

    Day 1

    Unbroken sunshine blessed the first day of Gloucestershire's Championship season, and two wickets in the last half hour redressed the balance of power as visitors Derbyshire closed on 256-7 from 96 overs.

    The dismissal of Matt Critchley for 39 broke a sixth  wicket stand of 71 with Harvey Hosein, who four balls later was clean bowled for 41. Their partnership, coupled with a stylish 83 from Middlesex loanee Tom Lace, had taken Derbyshire to 255-5 before Josh Shaw and Benny Howell gave the day a sting in the tail.

    Watch Chris Dent's close of play interview here:

     

    Gloucestershire made just one change from the team selected to play Oxford MCCU last week, with loan signing Josh Shaw bolstering a bowling attack which included 19 year Harry Hankins in a Championship  game for the first time. 

    All rounder Jack Taylor was the player to make way, and at the toss Derbyshire captain Billy Godelman opted not to exercise his right to ask Gloucestershire to bat. Chris Dent called correctly, and invited the visitors to take first use of a pitch with enough green in it to suggest the new ball might be awkward to play.

    Matt Taylor and Ryan Higgins opened up, Higgins knocking out Godelman's off stump in the sixth over as he attempted a push through the covers. Left hander Luis Reece, who had whipped Taylor to the square leg boundary twice early on, also cut Harry Hankins past point as Derbyshire scored more heavily from the bowlers at the Ashley Down Road end - Higgins opening seven over spell from the Pavilion end cost only eight runs. 

    Taylor's return, however, brought an immediate breakthrough as Wayne Madsen (15) was caught in his crease and trapped lbw. Lace, who still has a University degree in London to complete, was quickly into his stride, reaching 20 not out by lunch and showed a liking for anything around his pads which he could work square or through mid wicket, the two areas which produced the bulk of his sixteen boundaries.

    Both sides would have been reasonably content with the scoreboard showing 72-2 at lunch, and as tends to be the case at Bristol, it looked likely that the fielding side would have to chip away steadily at the opposition's batting order rather than spark a collapse. The movement off the pitch had not been prodigious, but it was enough for Josh Shaw, also fresh into a new spell, to remove Reece for 37, aided by a tidy catch from 'keeper Gareth Roderick.

    Lace, on 31, might have been run out earlier in the same over if Hammond's throw to the bowler's end had been gathered cleanly, and a rare boundary off Higgins took him closer to an 89 ball fifty with ten fours. 

    Two more from successive deleiveries by Harry Hankins showed the loanee's growing confidence having scored 61 in the win over Durham last week, and despite the Gloucestershire bowlers serving up little that could be driven down the ground Lace's partnership with Alex Hughes was worth 73 when another bowling change saw Matt Taylor draw Lace forward and Roderick held a tumbling catch.

    Wicket keeper Harvey Hosein stayed with Hughes until tea, and Hosein and leg spinner Matt Critchley batted responsibly together once Higgins, in his first over after the resumption, tempted Hughes (26) with a ball outside off stump that was edged to Howell at first slip. 

    At 184-5 and with more than 30 overs left on the day, the balance could have tilted either way, and for much of it the visitors looked to gradually squeeze out an advantage with some common sense work from their last two recognised batsmen.

    They had added 30 together when the second new ball was due, and a crisp drive from Critchley brought up the fifty partnership with ten overs remaining before a double bowling change did the trick for Gloucestershire captain Chris Dent.

    The willing Josh Shaw removed Critchley lbw for 39, before Howell bowled Hosein through the gate for 41. Dal and van Beek survived until stumps to leave honours, with Derbyshire 256-7, just about even.