Match Reports

Worcestershire v Gloucestershire

DAY 4

Ravichandran Ashwin was the star man in the Specsavers County Championship clash between Worcestershire and Gloucestershire at New Road.

The Indian star completed a productive opening game for his adopted county by taking eight wickets in total - including 5-68 in the second innings - and making useful contributions with the bat.

Worcestershire's sixth Championship win of the campaign moved them 19 points clear of Sussex, who have a game in hand as Gloucestershire were dismissed for 211.

The majority of their batsman made sizeable contributions and Ashwin was well supported by the County's seam attack in which Ed Barnard was again outstanding on what was a used pitch.

Gareth Roderick, skipper Phil Mustard and first innings century-maker Jack Taylor all got into the 40s on Day four, for mid-table Gloucestershire but their resistance was ended in mid afternoon by Ashwin and Co.

Gloucestershire resumed on 55-3 and Ashwin came straight into the attack for the second over of the morning and, apart from a brief spell by Brett D'Oliveira, bowled from the New Road End for the majority of the day.

It was Barnard who made the first breakthrough as nightwatchman Tom Smith (9) was trapped lbw by a delivery which kept low.

Ashwin collected his third wicket of the innings in the next over as George Hankins also fell leg before for a duck.

Gareth Roderick and Mustard defied Worcestershire for 13 overs.

Worcestershire skipper Joe Leach brought himself into the attack and knocked back the middle stump of Roderick for 47.

Mustard and Taylor provided stiff resistance during a partnership of 71 in 18 overs but the contest was effectively ended when they both departed in quick succession.

Mustard (40) presented Leach with a comfortable catch at mid off when facing rookie paceman Pat Brown and Taylor (43) fell leg before to Ashwin who completed his nap hand when Kieran Noema-Barnett was caught at fine leg.

Leach rounded off Worcestershire's victory by bowling Liam Norwell to secure his 50th Championship wicket of the campaign.

Gloucestershire head coach Richard Dawson said his side came off second best in all departments.

He said: "They played the conditions better than we did with both bat and ball.

"They've outplayed and they deserve what the ended up getting. Credit to Worcestershire. They played better than us.

"We thought we did a decent enough job on that first day (with the ball) but in our first innings we made too many unforced errors which put us behind in the game.

"We made silly mistakes and it put us on the back foot and put us under pressure.

"We asked for a bit of backbone and actually show that you can bat and make scores. Jack Taylor through the match batted very well and Gareth Roderick went out today and showed he can bat against good spin bowling.

"But overall you want your batsmen to go on and make big scores and we've not done that."

DAY 3

Daryl Mitchell scored his fifth Specsavers County Championship century of the campaign as Worcestershire set Gloucestershire a 401 target at New Road.

The 33-year-old opening batsman put a recent lean spell behind him – 33 runs from the previous six innings – in making an accomplished 130.

Then star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin struck two early blows as Gloucestershire closed on 55-3.

As on many occasions throughout his lengthy career, Mitchell, the curent PCA chairman, provided the glue which held the Worcestershire innings together.

He went to three figures off 156 balls with 10 fours and a six in what is his 99th appearance out of Worcestershire last 100 Championship fixtures.

Mitchell was eventually run out attempting a second run shortly before the declaration which left Gloucestershire a minimum of 121 overs to chase their daunting total.

Brett D’Oliveira, George Rhodes and Ashwin all provided excellent support for Mitchell as Worcestershire capitalised on their first innings lead of 105.

The declaration came at 295-8 and the home side will be hoping the weather forecast is kind tomorrow particularly with promotion rivals Sussex triumphing against Glamorgan and moving into second spot.

Worcestershire resumed on 10-0 and D’Oliveira launched an early offensive in making 55 off 58 balls and dominating an opening stand of 76 with Mitchell.

He followed up his first innings top-score of 93 by striking 10 boundaries.

D’Oliveira’s dismissal – bowled by Liam Norwell – triggered a minor collapse with the out of form Tom Fell falling in the same over for a second ball duck when caught behind and Joe Clarke (5) perishing at square leg off a top edged sweep against Tom Smith.

Rhodes (45) proved a valuable ally in a partnership of 114 in 31 overs before he went to try and paddle Smith around the corner and was lbw.

Indian star Ashwin raced to 28 as a further 55 was added in nine overs with Mitchell until he chipped Norwell to mid wicket.

Ben Cox showed positive intent with his first two scoring shots being sixes over long off at Smith’s expense.

There was a flurry of wickets before the declaration as Mitchell and Cox (15) were run out and skipper Joe Leach (7) was bowled.

Leach then took the new ball and, after switching ends, made the first breakthrough as Cameron Bancroft (14) was caught behind by Cox in a sharp  piece of work standing up to the wicket.

Ashwin came into the attack after just six overs and quickly made an impact by bowling Will Tavare for a duck and then having Chris Dent (16) caught at second slip.

He ended the day with the impressive figures of 10-3-11-2.

Gloucestershire skipper Phil Mustard said: “The idea tomorrow is to try and bat all day and, if we bat all day, we might get close to the target.

“We’ve got a couple of challenges ahead of us. Ashwin is bowling with decent pace and decent control and you’ve got afew seamers from the top end.

“But if you look at the way they batted today, it does get easier the longer you are out there.

“We got three early wickets and then Mitchell and Rhodes put together a decent partnership and we’ve got to take a leaf from their book and adapt our game to the wicket.

“It is going to be difficult but it is an amazing challenging for the people who are going to come in next and see what they are made of.”

DAY 2

A superb century from Jack Taylor helped Gloucestershire reach 258 all out, leaving Worcestershire going in to the third day 115 runs ahead.

Ravichandran Ashwin delivered a trio of wickets on his Worcestershire debut and Ed Barnard returned career-best bowling figures on day two of the Specsavers County Championship match with Gloucestershire at New Road.

Ashwin, who has joined Worcestershire for the conclusion of the promotion battle, bowled a lengthy spell and was rewarded by claiming the scalps of keeper Gareth Roderick, Kieran Noema-Barnett and Craig Miles.

An inspired afternoon spell of 9-4-12-3 by Barnard helped reduce Gloucestershire 93-5 in reply to Worcestershire’s 363 all out – still 121 short of making the home side have to bat again.

But Jack Taylor scored a century against Worcestershire for the fourth successive Championship match as Gloucestershire reached 258 all out.

Worcestershire then reached 10-0 from five overs – an overall lead of 115.

Paceman Josh Tongue had made the initial breakthrough when Chris Dent (22) was snapped up at leg slip by Joe Clarke. Then Barnard struck three times in the space of four overs.

He held onto a return catch off a leading edge from Will Tavare (9) and bowled both opener Cameron Bancroft (33) and George Hankins (4).

Ashwin claimed his first success as Roderick (9) attempted to work the ball through mid wicket and only succeeded in giving a return catch.

Taylor came in at 93-5 and was given solid support by Gloucestershire skipper Phil Mustard (29) in a partnership of 78 in 21 overs.

A fine piece of fielding by Brett D’Oliveira led to Mustard being run out by his direct hit from mid off after attempting a quick single off Ashwin.

Kieran Noema-Barnett (15) was lbw to Ashwin and Tom Scott (8) departed in the same manner to George Rhodes who bowled well for little tangible reward and had a strong leg before shout against Taylor on 85 turned down.

But Taylor went to his century off 140 balls with 12 fours before Ashwin had Miles (7) caught at short mid wicket for his third scalp and Liam Norwell (0) was bowled by Barnard.

Worcestershire lost their last three first innings wickets for three runs and were dismissed for 363 on a rain-shortened morning session.

Ben Cox (61) shouldered arms and was bowled by Norwell after striking ten fours in his impressive 91 ball knock.

Joe Leach made a quickfire 17 to ensure a fourth batting point before he attempted to pull Miles and was also bowled.

Norwell wrapped up the innings as Pat Brown (3) went for a drive and was caught behind.

DAY 1

Worcestershire opener Brett D’Oliveira was within eight runs of completing his third Specsavers County Championship century of the season at tea on the opening day of the clash with Gloucestershire at New Road.

D’Oliveira celebrated signing a new extended contract by holding the Worcestershire innings together after they opted to bat first on a used pitch.

He shared in half century stands with Tom Fell and Joe Clarke and reached 92 out of 198-4 from 68 overs by the interval, having struck two sixes and 10 fours in his 186 ball knock.

Worcestershire handed a debut to Indian Test spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

Liam Norwell struck an early blow for the visitors when Daryl Mitchell (6) was caught at first slip.

But the Gloucestershire paceman had to leave the field, seeming to dislocate a finger fielding a return shot from Tom Fell and had still to return by tea.

D’Oliveira and Tom Fell added 72 in 26 overs before the latter on a season’s best 38 in the Championship was trapped lbw by spinner Tom Smith just before lunch.

Joe Clarke looked in excellent touch and reeled off a series of fine cover drives but on 32 holed out to short mid wicket from a Kieran Noema-Barnett delivery that stopped in the pitch.

He added 61 in 15 overs with D’Oliveira who brought up his half century off 109 balls with seven boundaries.

Smith enjoyed a second success when George Rhodes (19) was pouched at first slip.

Ashwin received generous applause when he went to the wicket at 184-4 for his first innings as a County player.

Gloucestershire spinner Tom Smith, who picked up three wickets, is relishing the challenge that Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will provide on a used pitch tomorrow.

He said: “It is a wicket that has been prepared for Ashwin. It is a used wicket and it’s one of those days that you want to contribute as a spinner because you are probably not going to bowl on too many of those in England.

“It is my first (Championship) game in two years and I thought when the T20 finished that was probably the end of my season.

“But a few people have got injured and given me an opportunity.

“We need to wrap it up pretty quickly tomorrow. It should be easier facing their seam bowlers but obviously Ashwin is going to be out there all day and we are going to have to find a way of combating him.

“It is amazing for us (to face him). We don’t see those sort of players regularly in county cricket and for me personally as a spinner watching him and facing him will be great and seeing how he goes about it.”