Match Reports

Gloucestershire v Yorkshire

Gloucestershire produced an impressive performance with bat and ball to beat Yorkshire by 36 runs in a rain-shortened YB 40 fixture at Bristol and maintain pressure on arch rivals Somerset at the top of Group C.

While group leaders Somerset were overcoming Leicestershire down the road in Taunton, their northern neighbours were confirming their newly-acquired status as genuine contenders for a semi-final spot.

Chris Dent top-scored with 56 and there were useful contributions from Michael Klinger and Ian Cockbain as the home side posted an imposing 229-6 in 27 overs after being put in on a true pitch.

Dan Hodgson registered a competition-best score of 76 as Yorkshire made a decent fist of chasing, but 17-year-old off break bowler Miles Hammond accounted for him and finished with 2-29 in only his third senior appearance as Gloucestershire turned the screw.

Left arm seamer David Payne weighed in with 4-44 from five overs as Group C strugglers Yorkshire were dismissed for 193 in 26.3 overs.

The Antipodean opening pair of Klinger and Hamish Marshall have made a habit of providing Gloucestershire with a solid base in the 40-over competition this season and this game proved no exception as the first wicket yielded 52 runs in seven overs.

Both took the aerial route during the power-play, Marshall striking a quartet of fours in contributing 27 at a run a ball before giving slow left armer Adil Rashid the charge and being stumped by Andrew Hodd.

Klinger top-scored with 96 when Gloucestershire comfortably beat Yorkshire at Headingley earlier in the month and he again took an inexperienced attack to task, greeting Ben Coed with sixes over long-on and square leg in the space of four balls, helping himself to three maximums in all and four fours in a high-class innings of 45 from 30 balls.

The Australian added 58 in seven overs with Dent in a murderous second wicket alliance that threatened to break northern resolve and the visitors breathed a collective sigh of relief when Gloucestershire’s captain was bowled by a Yorker from Iain Wardlaw with the score on 110 in the 14th over.

Back in action after recovering from a back injury, Dent was especially strong on the leg side, demonstrating admirable timing and invention to plunder 56, including four fours and four sixes, in a high-octane innings spanning 40 balls.

Left-hander Dent was threatening a really big score when he succumbed to a soft dismissal, hoisting a full toss from Liam Plunkett straight to Richard Pyrah at deep mid-wicket, having dominated a partnership of 49 in five overs with Cockbain for the third wicket.

Although Gloucestershire failed to fully maximise their excellent start in the face of some hostile bowling from Wardlaw, who took 3-44, Benny Howell and Cockbain refused to panic, kept the scoreboard moving and raised 50 in seven overs to put the home side in a position of strength.

Straight-driving imperiously, the forthright Howell posted a quick-fire 32 from 22 deliveries, finding the boundary on four occasions before losing his off stump to a length ball from Wardlaw, while Cockbain mustered a pair of sixes and finished unbeaten on 46.

Required to score at nine an over and heavily-dependent upon big-hitting Andrew Gale, Yorkshire suffered an early blow when their captain chased a leg-side delivery from Will Gidman and was caught at short fine leg by David Payne for two.

Fellow left-hander Adam Lyth and new batsman Hodgson nevertheless set about repairing the damage in a second wicket alliance of 60 in five overs and Yorkshire were up with the rate when the partnership was brilliantly terminated by Gareth Roderick, Lyth pulling at a short ball from David Payne and Gloucestershire’s young wicketkeeper taking off to his right to complete a quite brilliant airborne catch.

Undeterred, Hodgson continued to attack, mustering his maiden List-A 50 from 29 balls in his eighth appearance, eclipsing his previous highest score of 24 and raising 61 for the third wicket with Joe Sayers. But having accrued 76 runs from 55 balls and struck nine fours and two sixes, the 23-year-old right-hander fell to rookie off spinner Hammond, who lured him into front foot indiscretion and had him smartly stumped by Roderick.

Sayers was held by Alex Gidman at short third man, at which point Yorkshire required nearly 11 an over and were reliant upon the dashing Rashid. Displaying composure beyond his years and not afraid to spin the ball hard, Hammond had the former England all-rounder caught by a diving Dent at mid-off to reduce the visitors to 145-5 in the 21st over and confirm the end of the game as a meaningful contest.