Match Reports

Gloucestershire v Warwickshire

Day 4

All-rounder Ryan Higgins struck three times in an over on his way to career-best figures of seven for 42 as Gloucestershire clinched a 78-run Bob Willis Trophy victory over Warwickshire at the Bristol County Ground. 

The former Middlesex player claimed wickets with the first, third and sixth deliveries of his second over with the new ball to reduce the visitors to four for three in their second innings, chasing a victory target of 239 from a minimum of 65 overs. 

Warwickshire never fully recovered and were eventually dismissed for 160, Matt Taylor removing Alex Thomson and Henry Brookes with successive deliveries to finish with two for 27. 

Skipper Will Rhodes top-scored with 48, while Higgins ended with match figures of 11 for 96 as Gloucestershire took 20 points and Warwickshire four. 

It was all rather hard on Oliver Hannon-Dalby, who earlier in the day had completed even more impressive match figures of 12 for 110 by claiming all four wickets after Gloucestershire had resumed on 197 for six in their second innings. 

Jack Taylor, unbeaten on 23 overnight, fell lbw for 34 in Hannon-Dalby’s opening spell and the tall seamer later returned to clean up the tail with the second new ball. 

Tom Smith was leg-before for six after a stand of 36 with George Scott and it was 267 for nine when Josh Shaw was bowled for 11. 

Last man Matt Taylor came out to hit successive boundaries off Hannon-Dalby, who then took revenge by having him caught in the slips by Tim Bresnan. Scott ended 44 not out, a crucial contribution to a total of 275 on his debut for the hosts. 

Lunch was taken before Warwickshire began their second innings. Whatever Higgins tucked into is sure to be on the menu at Gloucestershire’s next home game. 

His second over proved a triple wicket maiden as he had Rob Yates caught off a leading edge for two and quickly followed up by dismissing Sam Hain leg-before and Ian Bell caught behind. 

Warwickshire were in disarray. Rhodes and Matt Lamb staged a partial recovery and had taken the score to 50 in the 19th over when Lamb was bowled for 14 by a full delivery from Josh Shaw.  

Rhodes was unbeaten on 48 at tea. But Higgins again emerged from an interval inspired and struck with the first ball of the evening session, the Warwickshire captain nicking a low leg-side catch to wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick. 

At 80 for five, the visitors had the choice of continuing the run-chase or trying to bat out for a draw. The latter became a more obvious course when Michael Burgess departed lbw to Higgins for 15 with the total on 101. 

Taylor then struck his double blow, helped by a strange choice of shot in the circumstances from Alex Thomson, who pulled a short ball straight to the bowler’s brother Jack Taylor at deep square and fell for three. 

The next delivery saw Brookes trapped leg-before for his second duck of the game and, with the score 104 for eight, Gloucestershire had 23 overs to claim the last two wickets. 

Their former player Craig Miles was brilliantly caught low at first slip by Chris Dent for 12 to give Higgins a sixth wicket.  

Last man Hannon-Dalby and the stubborn Bresnan battled away for almost 12 overs, but it was all over when Hannon-Dalby edged Higgins through to Roderick with a possible 4.5 overs remaining.  

 

Gloucestershire head coach Richard Dawson said: "At the start of the day we were under pressure to occupy the crease and score runs. George Scott's 44 not out was crucial in that respect and he also did well with the ball, as well as showing himself to be a proper fielder.

"Ryan Higgins is like the heartbeat of our team. The way he goes about his work is brilliant and he fully deserved his best bowling figures in an innings and a match.

"Matt Taylor also bowled a crucial spell first thing after lunch, hardly conceding a run, and we were able to keep Warwickshire under pressure. I was just wondering whether we had run out of steam when the final wicket fell, but it was a terrific performance and one to build on."

Day 3

Half-centuries from Graeme van Buuren and Ryan Higgins kept Gloucestershire hopes alive on the third day of the Bob Willis Trophy match against Warwickshire at the Bristol County Ground. 

The home side looked in deep trouble when slipping to 30 for three in the morning session, having conceded a first innings deficit 37 when bowling out their opponents for 247 from an overnight 230 for eight. 

But van Buuren (72) and Higgins (51) then shared a defiant fourth-wicket stand of 110 either side of lunch, which enabled Gloucestershire to reach 197 for six by the time bad light ended play eight overs early, a lead of 160. 

All results remain possible on day four, but in the end the only winner could be the slow pitch, which has made the match hard work for batsmen and bowlers alike. 

The day began with all-rounder Higgins completing figures of four for 54 by claiming both remaining Warwickshire wickets from the Ashley Down Road End. Tim Bresnan was caught behind for 38 and last man Oliver Hannon-Dalby taken at second slip for a duck. 

Hannon-Dalby then followed up his career-best figures of six for 33 in the first innings by pinning Ben Charlesworth lbw, playing no shot, for 14 and having George Hankins well caught low down at first slip by Bresnan for a duck. 

Bresnan had already removed Gloucestershire captain Chris Dent, bowled off an inside edge without scoring, and it was tough going for the home side, who were still seven runs behind when van Buuren and Higgins came together. 

The pair took the score to 51 for three at lunch and prospered in the afternoon session, van Buuren moving to a gutsy fifty off 99 balls, with 8 fours. 

Warwickshire’s bowlers appeared to be getting frustrated when Henry Brookes struck a morale-boosting double blow just before tea. 

First he picked up the wicket of van Buuren with the total on 140, Sam Hain pouching a low catch at second slip to end an innings occupying 132 balls and featuring 11 crisply-struck fours. 

Higgins also went on to his half-century and had faced 101 deliveries, hitting nine boundaries, when superbly caught down the leg side by diving wicketkeeper Michael Burgess off Brookes in the final over of the session to make it 155 for five. 

With two new batsmen at the crease, Gloucestershire needed to be watchful after tea. Gareth Roderick and Jack Taylor took the score to 190 before Roderick, on 13, lost concentration and carelessly drove a low catch to Matt Lamb at cover off the bowling of Craig Miles. 

There followed a period of nine overs from Bresnan and Miles in which only one run was scored. Taylor, who had taken 32 balls to get off the mark in the first innings, again showed an obdurate side to his normally aggressive game. 

George Scott, on his Gloucestershire debut, was equally content with survival and the game seemed to be going nowhere when the umpires called a halt, with Taylor unbeaten on 23 and Scott having scored two off 31 balls. 

Soon it was raining at the end of a day of sultry heat and hopes of a restart were dashed. 

---

After claiming four wickets and making 51 with the bat, Gloucestershire all-rounder Ryan Higgins said: "I would definitely rather be bowling on that pitch. I really struggled to start with when batting, but managed to survive and get some runs, which wasn't easy.

"It got a bit testy out there when they thought they had me caught behind, but it wasn't given. I didn't think I nicked it and it was great to be back involved in some really competitive cricket again.

"We are 160 in front and need to add to that lead tomorrow. I think there will be a decisive result one way or the other and it should be a good final day."

Day 2

Matt Lamb top-scored with 65 as Warwickshire were made to battle hard for first innings lead on the second day of the Bob Willis Trophy match with Gloucestershire at the Bristol County Ground. 

Going in with his side 55 for three in reply to 210, Lamb faced 193 balls and hit 12 fours to help the visitors to 230 for eight at the close of a day of attritional cricket on a slow pitch that made anything but slow scoring difficult. 

The start of play had seen Oliver Hannon-Dalby complete career-best figures of six for 33 from 23.3 overs by taking the two remaining Gloucestershire wickets after they resumed their first innings on 191 for eight. 

Tom Smith ensured the home side of a batting point with 24 not out, but Josh Shaw and Matt Taylor fell to the tall seamer, again bowling accurately from the Ashley Down Road End. It was Hannon-Dalby’s first six-wicket haul in a first class innings. 

Warwickshire’s reply began poorly when Rob Yates appeared to edge a low catch to wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick in the opening over from Ryan Higgins, but in fact was adjudged leg-before for a duck. 

It was 15 for two when Sam Hain, on eight, fell lbw playing across a straight ball from Taylor and, with the skies overcast in contrast to the first day, Gloucestershire’s seamers scented a big opportunity. 

They struck again in the final over before lunch when Ian Bell edged George Scott to George Hankins at second slip and fell for 13 to make the score 55 for three at the interval. 

It was Scott’s first wicket for Gloucestershire on his debut following a move from Middlesex last autumn and a major blow to the visitors’ hopes. 

Warwickshire skipper Will Rhodes looked solid in progressing to 41 in the afternoon session as the sun began to shine, but he was undone when opposite number Chris Dent introduced Ben Charlesworth to the attack. 

The 19-year-old, who bats left-handed, but bowls right-arm seam, yorked Rhodes with his fourth ball to end an innings that had spanned 107 deliveries and featured 6 fours. 

Patience was required with bat and ball. Lamb employed sensible shot selection to be unbeaten on 43 at tea, which was taken at 133 for four, with Michael Burgess on 14. Gloucestershire needed an early breakthrough in the final session. Instead, a flurry of boundaries from the fourth-wicket pair advanced the Warwickshire total as they looked to adopt a more positive approach. 

They had added 69 in 20 overs when Burgess, who was just starting to blossom, was bowled off an inside edge by Scott (two for 34), who impressed from the Pavilion End. 

A further 28 runs had been added when Lamb edged Higgins (two for 47) to first slip where Dent took a good low catch. By then Warwickshire were only 20 runs behind. 

Tim Bresnan was looking to follow up a century on debut for the visitors and the experienced former Yorkshire all-rounder looked more comfortable than most on the testing pitch. 

There was just enough swing to encourage the Gloucestershire bowlers as their opponents secured a batting point and closed in on their total. 

Bresnan was unbeaten on 34 at stumps, having faced 75 balls and hit 4 fours. But Taylor (three for 48) struck twice in the penultimate over of the day, clean bowling Alex Thomson, playing no shot, for 15 and Henry Brookes for a duck as Gloucestershire ended on a high. 

---

Gloucestershire debutant George Scott said: "I came here because I wanted to work with Gloucestershire's coaches and improve my game as Ryan Higgins has done since moving from Middlesex.

"If I can do as well as he has, I'll be more than happy. Getting the scalp of Ian Bell as my first wicket for Gloucestershire was amazing as I grew up watching him and it is even a bit surreal just to play against him.

"We knew if we kept patient rewards would come for the bowlers and it happened for Matty Taylor at the end of the day. Now we need a couple more wickets quickly in the morning and, if we get them, we will be right in the game,"

Day 1

Oliver Hannon-Dalby led a tireless Warwickshire bowling performance in strength-sapping conditions on the opening day of the Bob Willis Trophy match with Gloucestershire at Bristol. 

The tall seamer toiled away with precision in relentless heat to claim four for 24 from 20 overs as the home side were restricted to 191 for eight after being asked to bat first, Ben Charlesworth top-scoring with 51.  

Hannon-Dalby received excellent support from skipper Will Rhodes (three for 18) and the rest of the Warwickshire attack on a slow pitch that ensured hard work for batsmen and bowlers alike. 

Run-scoring was never easy and 19-year-old Charlesworth deserved plenty of credit for his 124-ball innings that featured 6 fours. 

He lost opening partner Chris Dent with the total on nine. The Gloucestershire captain got a thin edge through to wicketkeeper Michael Burgess off Hannon-Dalby, having made only two. 

Hannon-Dalby went on to complete a probing six-over opening spell from the Ashley Down Road End, which cost him only six runs and included four maidens. 

Tim Bresnan was equally accurate at the Pavilion End. But Charlesworth and Graeme van Buuren batted sensibly and gradually increased the tempo in a stand of 67, ended when van Buuren, on 33, edged former Gloucestershire team-mate Craig Miles to Ian Bell at third slip. 

It was 83 for two at lunch, with left-hander Charlesworth unbeaten on 39. He and George Hankins took the total to 102 before Rhodes introduced himself at the Pavilion End as the sixth bowler used. 

In his first over he had Charlesworth well caught low down by Sam Hain in the slips to end a hugely promising knock from the England Under-19 player, including some swashbuckling back-foot shots through the off-side. 

Rhodes’ breakthrough sparked a collapse as Hannon-Dalby quickly followed up with lbw verdicts against Hankins and Ryan Higgins. 

Suddenly the hosts were in serious trouble at 103 for five. Gareth Roderick and Jack Taylor were forced into watchful defence to stop the rot, the normally aggressive Taylor taking 32 balls to get off the mark. 

The pair took the score to 127 for five at tea, but the afternoon session had produced only 44 runs from 28 overs. 

Taylor, on 14, became Rhodes’ second victim when lbw pushing forward with the score on 155, and the Warwickshire skipper struck again five runs later when Roderick was brilliantly stumped down the leg side by Burgess, having contributed a solid 39 off 108 balls. 

Hannon-Dalby claimed his fourth wicket when George Scott, making his Gloucestershire debut following his move from Middlesex last autumn, fell leg-before having confidently moved to 17. 

Bresnan, who conceded 39 from 15 overs, and Miles, who went for 41 from 19 helped contain the Gloucestershire batsmen, while Henry Brookes recovered from a relatively expensive first spell to bowl his 17 overs for 52. 

It was an impressive effort from the Warwickshire seam bowling unit under cloudless skies, justifying Rhodes’ decision to field first. 

Tom Smith was unbeaten on 15 at stumps, having battled away for 59 balls. He and Josh Shaw will resume in the morning with nine runs needed for a batting point. 

---

Gloucestershire batsman Ben Charlesworth said: "I had a fantastic winter with England Under-19s, playing in South Africa, the Caribbean and India, working a lot with batting coach Ian Bell, who is playing in this game.

"I learned a lot from a great player and I was like a kid at Christmas to be out there batting today, having missed the first game through injury. It is a typical Bristol wicket and you have to work hard to score runs.

"They bowled really well and we will have to do the same tomorrow, staying patient and maintaining pressure."