Match Reports

Gloucestershire v Northamptonshire

DAY 2

Liam Norwell and David Payne produced an inspired new ball spell as Gloucestershire roared back into the game at Wantage Road. Northamptonshire closed the second day 50 for 5 in their second innings, leading by only 128.

Richard Gleeson took his maiden first-class five-wicket haul to help bowl Gloucestershire out for 265 and give Northants a lead of 78 with 16 overs remaining in the day. But within six overs, Northants were 19 for 5 and ambitions for a victory to raise their promotion hopes were left in tatters.

First Payne slid a ball across Rob Newton to find an edge that was splendidly held by George Hankins diving to his right from third slip. Ben Duckett followed, edging Norwell from round the wicket to second slip. Payne straightened a full delivery to knock out Max Holden’s off stump before Norwell brought one back to pin Rob Keogh lbw. Finally, Norwell produced the best delivery of the lot - one that shaped away to trim the off bail of Richard Levi.

Alex Wakely, on 23, and Adam Rossington managed to battle out the remaining 10 overs.

It was a dramatic conclusion to a day where Northants initially got themselves ahead in the game through Gleeson. He struck twice in his first four overs of the morning with two fine deliveries that held their line to take edges of both Gareth Roderick - caught at the wicket for a fourth-ball duck - and Will Tavare - held at second slip for 13.

Shortly before tea, when Gloucestershire recovered from 165 for 5 to 219 for 5 through Kieran Noema-Barnett and Jack Taylor, who counterattacked with a partnership of 54 in 11.2 overs, Gleeson returned from the Wantage Road End with two wickets in two balls.

A rising delivery took the shoulder of Taylor’s bat and looped to slip, Levi took an easy catch and Taylor walked off for 28. Next ball, a spearing yorker that Gleeson has used so effectively in T20 cricket ripped into the off stump of Craig Miles. The hat-trick ball - in his next over - struck the body of Noema-Barnett. Another yorker to debutant George Drissell ended the innings and handed Northants useful lead.

The hosts chipped away well throughout the day as three half-century stands developed but nothing to take a significant chunk out of Northants’ first innings 343.

George Hankins shared a stand of 66 with his captain Phil Mustard before Mustard ran past a flighted delivery from left-arm spinner Simon Kerrigan, on-loan from Lancashire, and lost his off stump for 26 just before lunch.

Hankins followed his century in this fixture last season with 73 before becoming the first of three wickets for the off-spin of Keogh. Hankins, having passed fifty in 86 balls with his fifth four - steered to third man off Gleeson - top-edged a sweep and was caught by Kerrigan at backward square-leg.

Hankins shared a stand of 69 for the fourth wicket with Iain Cockbain, who was also going steadily on 27, but took a step down the wicket at Keogh to one that turned and was caught bat-pad at short-leg by Holden.

The second double strike of the innings - by Gleeson before tea - saw Gloucestershire slip to 219 for 7 and in danger of leaking a big lead but Noema-Barnett counterattacked to good effect. He struck Simon Kerrigan down the ground for two sixes, slog-swept him for four more, took another boundary over extra-cover and also drove Keogh straight for four in a 65-ball fifty.

David Payne:

“It was crazy. The captain just asked us to bowl hard and see what could happen. We were hoping for two maybe three.

“Personally I was totally out of rhythm yesterday - sometimes that is the case - so it was nice to come back both yesterday and now today.

“Once you get past the new ball it gets easier so we don’t know what a good score could be for the fourth innings."

DAY 1

Fifties for Rob Newton, Richard Levi and Ben Duckett helped Northamptonshire enjoy the opening half of the first day before a brilliant response from the Gloucestershire bowlers restricted Northants to 343 at Wantage Road.

It was a solid day for the hosts but the top six all got set only to fall in series of poor dismissals with several catches in front of the bat. Having been 153 for 1 and 269 for 4, four overs before the second new ball, they slid to 315 for 9 before debutant Simon Kerrigan made an unbeaten 26.

Gloucestershire picked themselves up after a slow morning session. But the three seamers, David Payne, Liam Norwell and Craig Miles, made a smart comeback sharing seven wickets.

Duckett was the first of the half-centurions. Making the quick transition from Saturday’s T20 where he made a career-best unbeaten 92, he made a 46-ball fifty here. He flicked two boundaries through square leg off David Payne before imperiously driving him through extra-cover.

Another leg-side flick, this off Craig Miles, brought his side's 50 up in just the ninth over of the morning. Duckett helped himself to 10 boundaries before lifting a drive from Miles to extra-cover to fall for 52. But his bright start saw Northants rattle to lunch 153 for 1.

Duckett’s opening partner Newton was badly dropped at point on 30 off Jack Taylor shelled an easy chance but went on to drive the off spin of 18-year-old debutant George Drissell through the covers for his eighth boundary to raise fifty in 80 balls. Newton went to lunch 70 not out but was caught at short-midwicket second over into the afternoon.

Alex Wakely, also badly dropped - by Iain Cockbain at mid-off on 45 - added four more before pushing at a ball from left-armer Payne that slid across him and he got a thin edge to wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick. Wakely fell just after the first hour after lunch where 16 runs came in 16 overs.

A stand of 68 between Levi and Rob Keogh put Northants into a good position after tea at 269 for 4 in fairly benign conditions against the older ball. Keogh played a perfectly-timed flick through midwicket to bring up the second batting bonus but when he lazily chipped the part-time off-spin of Taylor to short-midwicket, the innings fell away.

Levi was the third half-centurion of the day, playing smartly for his 59-ball fifty including a cover-drive that was perhaps the shot of the day. But he was well caught at slip trying to run Payne to third man, Adam Rossington pulled Liam Norwell straight to midwicket for just 5 and Rory Kleinveldt and Richard Gleeson were both caught at the wicket driving loosely outside off stump.

Gloucestershire go into the second day looking to respond positively and put runs on the board from the get go.

Phil Mustard said:

“It took us awhile to get used to the wicket we probably tried too hard in the first session but all credit to the seamers after lunch who performed really well because the game could have gone away from us.

“In any game, this type of score makes it an even game, the pitch is only going to get slower so we’ve got to bat well tomorrow to get a score."