Match Reports

Gloucestershire v Northamptonshire

Day Four

Miles Hammond, Tom Lace and Graeme van Buuren led Gloucestershire home in a chase of 266 to complete a remarkable turnaround as they beat Northamptonshire by six wickets at Bristol.

Having polished Northants off for just 129 in their second innings, the hosts were left with two-and-a-half sessions to complete their comeback.

 

Hammond gave them an excellent platform with 94 before Lace’s unbeaten 67 and van Buuren’s 53 not out - his second half-century of the match - saw the Glosters home.

It was an extraordinary result with Gloucestershire having been 153 for nine replying to 327 on day two. But they dominated the final two days of the game and after bad light had significantly curtailed play on the previous three evenings, Nevil Road was bathed in sunshine for the denouement.

Northants resumed 92 for seven, leading by 228. Tom Taylor was quickly trapped lbw by Ryan Higgins and when Ben Sanderson edged Tom Price behind for only 1, the end appeared swift.

But Simon Kerrigan made 27, clearing his front leg to smear three boundaries over mid-on and pulling Price off a top edge for six. It was a sedate ending - pushing at Higgins and being bowled by one that seamed back as Higgins finished with five for 46.

That boost to the target felt like it would give Northants enough to bowl at considering what had gone before in the game and the visitors plucked out two of the top three cheaply.

Hammond flashed an edge through the high hands of Emilio Gay at third slip when only six and he went on to punch Luke Procter off the back foot and whip him over midwicket for four.

Another boundary off Procter, slapping a short wide delivery through mid-off, raised a half-century in 137 balls and he and Chris Dent looked to be taking their side to tea in great shape.

But Dent fell for 26, caught behind defending at Kerrigan’s left-arm spin, and 143 were left in 32 overs after tea.

Hammond couldn’t reach his hundred, bowled by Taylor to one that nipped in from round the wicket but Lace and van Buuren took up the chase.

Van Buuren slog swept Kerrigan for six and pulled a full toss for another maximum in his 43-ball fifty and it was left to Lace to sweep the winning boundary off Rob Keogh.

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Day Three

Ryan Higgins led a Gloucestershire charge on third afternoon at Bristol as the home side came storming back into the match as Northamptonshire closed 92 for seven leading by 228.

Higgins took three for 26 and Tom Price two for 22 as the Glosters kept themselves alive in a game they looked well out of.

 

56 from Graeme van Buuren and superb resistance from Gloucestershire’s tail had earlier held up Northants to save the follow-on before they were eventually bowled out for 191.

The rear-guard, which saw No. 10 Matt Taylor make 24 from 97 balls and Jared Warner 10 from a 82 deliveries, almost delivered a batting point but it certainly wrested back the initiative.

The bowlers seized upon the momentum to leave Northants’ second innings in tatters.

Price led the charge, striking in the fourth over as Emilio Gay played into his stumps trying to defend. Price added Rob Keogh palpably lbw to a full ball that nipped back.

Higgins trapped Luke Procter lbw from round the wicket – with a suspicion that the left-hander got outside the line of off stump. His later spell removed Harry Gouldstone, so impressive in the first innings, make only seven before playing around a straight delivery and losing his middle stump.

Adam Rossington was also bowled but this to a lovely delivery that swung away to hit off stump. He made only 18 and there will be no captain to the rescue this time for the visitors.

Ricardo Vasconcelos was also bowled. He moved in the pleasant way of his to 26 but played loosely outside off stump to one from Matt Taylor that seamed in. And Saif Zaib made 14 before he was squared up by Warner and edged behind.

It was slippery stuff in the gloaming and followed some extraordinary resistance from the Gloucestershire tail.

Resuming 90 for six replying to 327, the home side were in danger of conceding a huge lead.

Zafar Gohar quickly fell to Procter for seven but the resistance began with an eighth-wicket stand of 45 between Price, who lasted 54 balls for his 16 and van Buuren.

The No. 6 resumed on 19 and edged Procter through the slips for the day’s opening boundary before clipping him through midwicket and cutting Jack White through point.

His second fifty of the summer came in 121 balls and helped give Gloucestershire a sniff of a remarkable turnaround.

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Day Two

Ben Sanderson and Luke Procter took three wickets each to put Northamptonshire on top at Bristol as Gloucestershire were reduced to 90 for six replying to 327.

Northants captain Adam Rossington extended his overnight 66 to 94 - his highest score of the season - as the visitors collected three batting points.

 

Sanderson then took out the Glosters’ top three before Procter’s haul left the home side reeling.

327 felt suspiciously over par on a pitch that offered something for the bowlers throughout. Gloucestershire couldn’t make the most of it having won the toss and of their seven bowlers, only Ryan Higgins and Pakistan spinner Zafar Gohar went at under 3.2 runs an over.

Sanderson showed how it should be done in a typically-skilful opening spell. He claimed wickets in his first, fourth and fifth overs to rip out the top order.

Ben Charlesworth pushed at a ball from round the wicket that straightened a fraction and edged to second slip fourth ball of the innings.

James Bracey got one that left him enough to take an edge to a good low catch by Emilio Gay at third slip and Miles Hammond fell in almost identical fashion.

It was then Procter’s turn as he drew an edge from Tom Lace to first slip, got one to come back and beat Chris Dent’s inside edge to take out off stump and lured Higgins into driving and edging behind.

It was an excellent day for Northants as Rossington resumed the fightback he began on the first evening to help his side built a very good total having been 147 for five. 

He drove Matt Taylor on the up through cover, edged Jared Warner wide of second slip and pulled the same bowler imperiously wide of mid-on.

Higgins was lofted down the ground and Tom Price driven past mid-on. But he fell to the second new ball as Price got one to nip back between bat and pad.

Harry Goudlstone had fallen in identical fashion for 43 in the previous over from Higgins, ending a sixth-wicket partnership of 124.

The dismissal began a smart reply by Gloucestershire with the second new ball as they took five for 56. Tom Taylor was the only lower-order batsmen to make an impression with 24 before he was last man out, driving at Warner and edging behind to a good diving catch from Bracey.

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Day One

Adam Rossington’s unbeaten 66 rescued Northamptonshire as the LV= Insurance Championship returned on a grey, cool day at Bristol with the visitors making 232 for five having lost the toss.

 

Northants were reduced to 147 for five before captain Rossington made his fourth half century of the summer. He and Harry Goldstone, who made 32 not out, took the visitors to an early close in steady shape, with 25 overs chalked off the day due to bad light.

Rossington has grown as a batsman since being handed the Championship captaincy midway through the 2019 season and here was the latest of his captain’s innings.

He drove Matt Taylor through cover and Tom Price past his left boot for early boundaries. Ben Charlesworth was pulled wide of long leg and Graeme van Buuren worked fine for four more, just after reaching a half-century in 58 deliveries.

Further boundaries followed in what proved to be the day’s last action. He drove and edged Taylor between slip and gully and then, looking to whip to leg, saw a leading edge fall just short of the cordon. Perhaps the misjudgements gave the umpires encouragement to take the players off.

Gouldstone was also very easy on the eye. A 20-year-old born in Kettering, he made his first-class debut in this fixture, abandoned after just one session due to Covid, a year ago.

He appeared to have plenty of time as he punched Price off the back foot past point, worked Charlesworth through square leg and drove him through cover to raise the fifty partnership - perhaps the day’s best shot.

With fixtures in Division Two and Three providing prep for next summer and the chance to collect some prize money, performances like Gouldstone’s are essential to keep their names in the mix.

In that regard, Gloucestershire had 21-year-old Price playing his fourth first-class match. He took the first two wickets - the prize scalp of Ricardo Vasconcelos, who edged a ball of tight line low to second slip for 37, and Luke Procter, who sent a skier back to the bowler trying to pull.

Taylor also took two. Emilio Gay’s pleasant 44 ended lbw when he was struck in line but above the knee roll. Rob Keogh then shouldered arms but edged into his middle stump.