Match Reports

Gloucestershire v Worcestershire

Day Three

Jack Shantry claimed four second innings victims as Worcestershire took another step towards the LV=County Championship Division Two title, beating Gloucestershire by eight wickets inside three days at Cheltenham.

But the victory celebrations were delayed by a Gloucestershire record last-wicket stand of 137 between Liam Norwell (78) and Craig Miles (62 not out). Norwell’s score was the highest ever in first class cricket by a Gloucestershire number eleven.

Both tail-enders put the earlier batsmen to shame with career-best scores,  Norwell facing 112 balls and hitting 12 fours and a six, while Miles hit 10 fours in his 108-ball innings.

Their stand occupied 33.1 overs and left Worcestershire needing 51 to win, which they knocked off in less than eight overs for the loss of openers Daryl Mitchell and Richard Oliver.

Earlier, left-arm seamer Shantry had taken his Championship wicket tally for the season to an impressive 40, returning four for 52 from 21 overs as the hosts were reduced to 152 for nine before the last pair’s heroics.

There were two wickets for Mitchell McClenaghan, whose pace was a feature of the match, and three for Charlie Morris before Worcestershire wrapped up a win that strengthened their already firm grip on top spot in the Second Division.

They took 23 points from a largely one-sided game, while Gloucestershire settled for three, having been comprehensively outplayed.

The hosts began day three on 10 for one, needing a further 229 runs to make their opponents bat again. For the second time in the match McClenaghan’s opening spell proved key as he quickly removed nightwatchman Tom Smith and Will Tavare to make it 30 for three.

The New Zealand left-arm seamer extracted life and bounce from the wicket, but was used in short spells, later striking Ian Cockbain two blows on the helmet.

At one point McClenaghan bowled to Alex Gidman with five slips, and two other close catchers on the off side in a backward point and short third man.

Shantry got in on the act, bowling Gidman for 37 with the total on 79 and having Hamish Marshall caught behind off a thin edge for 15. It was 103 for five at lunch and Worcestershire moved in for the kill.

Second ball after the interval Will Gidman tamely lifted a catch to square leg off Morris and it was 133 for seven when Shantry trapped Cockbain lbw for 15.

Three runs later Benny Howell was bowled by Shantry shouldering arms, having made 24. Adam Rouse became the third batsman to depart for 15 when caught at second slip by Mitchell off Joe Leach with the total on 152.

McClenaghan bombarded Norwell with a succession of short balls, but the Gloucestershire man emerged unscathed to triple his previous best first class score of 26. His half-century came off 67 balls, with 8 fours and a six.

Miles was equally untroubled in following his partner to 50 off 86 deliveries, with 8 fours and, although tea was delayed, the pair made it through to the interval, leaving the field to a standing ovation with their side 22 runs ahead at 261 for nine.

Norwell was finally bowled by Morris, much to Worcestershire’s relief. After a couple of reverses, they clinched victory at shortly before 6pm.

Day Two

Worcestershire’s seamers strengthened their club’s grip on the Second Division title by forcing Gloucestershire to follow-on in the LV=County Championship clash at Cheltenham.

Having extended their first innings to 395 on the second day, with Daryl Mitchell finishing unbeaten on 167 and Craig Miles claiming five for 90, the visitors made short work of the home batting line up, claiming maximum bowling points for the 24th successive game..

At one stage Gloucestershire were 68 for eight. They were eventually bowled out for 156, with two wickets each for New Zealander Mitchell McClenaghan, on his Championship debut, Charlie Morris, Jack Shantry and Joe Leach.

With five overs left in the day, the hosts reached 10 for one in their second innings, losing skipper Michael Klinger for five, and still trailed by 229.

Worcestershire began the morning on 299 for seven and suffered an early setback when Shantry, having hit a couple of boundaries, was bowled by Miles for 21.

McClenaghan enjoyed his first Championship innings, helping Mitchell add 61 in less than 12 overs before advancing down the pitch to Smith and being stumped for 18.

By then a fourth batting bonus point had been secured and the wicket, which fell in the 110^th over, gave Gloucestershire a third bowling point.

Mitchell had cast aside his first day caution to play with increasing freedom and brought up his 150 off 283 balls, with 22 fours.

He added 65 to his score off 21.3 overs, including a six over square leg off Miles, before last man Morris fell lbw to Will Gidman, having supported his partner solidly for half an hour without scoring.

Soon McClenaghan was generating more pace from the Festival pitch than any Gloucestershire bowler with his left-arm seam, accounting for Klinger, on four, with a lifter that the home skipper gloved to wicketkeeper Ben Cox.

It was 11 for one at lunch and the hosts plunged deep into trouble at the start of the afternoon session as three wickets fell with the score on 15.

Will Tavare, on two, had his middle stump uprooted by McClenaghan and four balls later Alex Gidman was bowled off a pad by Morris for nine. The next delivery saw Ian Cockbain connect solidly with a straight drive, which Morris deflected onto the stumps at the bowler’s end to run out Hamish Marshall without facing a ball.

Cockbain and Will Gidman took the score to 53 before the latter was pouched at leg-slip by Tom Fell off Shantry for 18. It was 60 for six when Cockbain edged a catch to second slip off Leach and departed for 25.

Benny Howell then suffered a rush of blood, advancing to try and hit Shaaiq Choudhry over the top and being stumped by Cox with the score on 62. At tea Gloucestershire were 68 for seven and staring down the barrel of a follow on.

It came a step nearer when the second delivery after the break saw Morris pin Adam Rouse lbw for three. But then Miles and Tom Smith offered some resistance, putting on 54 before Miles drove Shantry to mid-off and departed for 29.

Smith looked more comfortable than the top order, coming in at nine and finishing unbeaten on 41 in a sorry batting effort. He added a further 34 with Liam Norwell before the last man was caught at fine leg off a top-edged pull to give Leach his second wicket.

With the follow-on enforced, Gloucestershire’s miserable day continued when Klinger nicked Morris to wicketkeeper Cox.

Day One

Daryl Mitchell returned to the scene of one of his finest hours to score a classic LV=County Championship century as Worcestershire ran up 299-7 on a competitive opening day against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham.

The experienced opening batsman finished unbeaten on 102, having shown exemplary application in facing 228 balls and hitting 13 fours without giving a chance.

Richard Oliver smacked 62 off 49 balls at the start of the innings and Ben Cox made 56. Craig Miles claimed four for 53 on his first appearance of the season for Gloucestershire, while Tom Smith returned three for 68 from 31 overs.

It was at the College Ground in 2010 that Mitchell hit two centuries in the corresponding game, his 134 not out in the second innings seeing Worcestershire to an unlikely six-wicket win.

Again he was prepared to be patient is assessing the Festival pitch, taking 22 balls to get off the mark. Having scored a half-century in his previous two Championship appearances, Oliver dominated the opening stand of 71.

The 50 partnership came up in the 11^th over, with the 24-year-old left-hander from Stoke-on-Trent having made 44 and Mitchell six. Oliver’s own half-century soon followed and occupied just 42 balls, featuring 7 fours.

He continued to attack and perished to a full-blooded drive at Miles in the 15^th over, Michael Klinger accepting a chest high catch at second slip. It was a sweet moment for 20-year-old Miles, who claimed 43 Championship wickets last season, but had not played in the competition since September because of a back problem.

It was 118 for one at lunch, with Mitchall on 29. Tom Fell had moved more briskly to 24 when he was pinned lbw by Miles in the second over after the interval, the ball striking pad before bat.

Gloucestershire’s fightback continued as Alexei Kervezee was caught and bowled by left-arm spinner Smith for seven, having been dropped at short-leg off the same bowler, to make it 130 for three.

And the home side struck again with the total on 140, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, on five, advancing to Smith and being smartly stumped by Adam Rouse.

But Mitchell was set, advancing steadily at his own pace. He found another positive partner in Cox, who got off the mark by pulling a short ball from Smith over mid-wicket for six.

Mitchell was first to his half-century off 124 balls, with 8 fours, the same number as Cox struck in reaching the same milestone off 58 deliveries.

By tea the pair had Worcestershire back in command at 228 for four. Miles, used sparingly, had figures of two for 30 from nine overs at that point.

It was Smith who struck again with the total on 242 as Cox pushed forward defensively and was caught at short-leg by Will Tavare off an inside edge. Miles followed up by gaining a leg-before verdict against Joe Leach before he had scored and Worcestershire were 242 for six.

Gloucestershire delayed taking the new ball until the second ball of the 86^th over with the score 276 for six and Mitchell five short of his ton. He lost another partner when Shaaiq Choudhry top-edged a pull off Miles and was caught at mid-wicket for 21.

It was 284 for seven when Mitchell reached three figures, having faced 223 balls. It was an old school knock of immense value to his team.

Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes said: “Daryl is having a wonderful season. Batting through a day is not easy with the concentration levels required and the fatigue that sets in, but he stuck to his plans and I’m delighted for him.”