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    Charlesworth shows clear potential as he puts studies on hold

    5 September 2018

    17 year old Ben Charlesworth added his name to the other young players who have made an impression with Gloucestershire this season by constructing a polished half century against Middlesex at the Brightside Ground.

    18 not out overnight, the pupil from St Edward's School in Oxford made an unbeaten 77 in only his third first class match, reaching his fifty with a straight six off Dawid Malan. 

    He added 58 for the last wicket with Matt Taylor - a stand which took Gloucestershire's first innings total to 296 and broke the previous record for the tenth wicket against Middlesex - and then took 3-21 with the ball as Middlesex responded with 182-7, skipper Malan's dismissal for 62 in the penultimate over giving Matt Taylor his 100th first class wicket.

     

    After the elation of taking the wicket that sealed last week's win over Leicestershire, it was Ben Charlesworth's batting which lit up the first part of the day as Gloucestershire looked to advance their overnight score of 208-7 in sunny conditions.

     

    Displaying all the patience that has seen him twice score centuries at other levels of the game in recent weeks, Charlesworth was initially content to work the ball economically for singles and in the company of Craig Miles added 29 until just before the overs for bonus points had elapsed, when Miles (14) tried to hook Ethan Bamber only to find the hands of Max Holden at deep square leg.

    The swift departure of David Payne was the signal for Charlesworth to shake off his patient persona and attack alongside tenth wicket partner Matt Taylor, using his feet to Dawid Malan's leg spin to hit him down the ground for four and then repeat the shot with greater elevation to reach a maiden first class fifty in the grand manner from 136 balls.

    Dropped by Malan on 40 - a caught and bowled chance the Middlesex captain would have expected to hold - Charlesworth's repertoire of shots then expanded further, pulling Bamber through mid wicket before again impressing with a cleanly struck straight drive.

    The last wicket pair had put on 58 when Taylor was lbw to James Harris, leaving Middlesex facing a total of 296, and it's believed (without hours scouring the archives) that Charlesworth's 77* is the first half century by a Gloucestershire player of his age for more than 70 years.

    The Middlesex opening pair of Sam Robson and Nick Gubbins played out the two overs until lunch, and in the afternoon session Gloucestershire had to work hard for their wickets once Robson edged Miles to Roderick in the sixth over.

    Gubbins and Steven Eskinazi proceeded cautiously as Gloucestershire captain Chris Dent rotated his four main bowlers, adding 47 until Gubbins looked none too pleased to be given out lbw to Higgins. His reaction suggested he thought the ball was missing leg stump, and no other partnership was as productive as Gloucestershire slowly chipped their way through the  Middlesex batting.

    Most of their progress came after tea, with Charlesworth again a central figure. Undeterred by having a strong appeal for lbw against Dawid Malan turned down just before the interval, he returned after tea to trap Eskinazi lbw for 45, and then in a shorter second spell sent back Max Holden - also lbw - and had Paul Stirling caught at mid wicket by Jack Taylor.

    Middlesex were therefore grateful to Malan for his calmness whilst other struggled, including Eoin Morgan who had twice edged Matt Taylor to third man before seeing his stumps splattered as he failed to drop on a full length delivery. 

    Malan passed 10,000 first class runs with a cover drive off Ryan Higgins, and a pull off Matt Taylor took him to fifty from 101 balls with eight boundaries. His innings would have ticked past three hours had he survived until the close, but in his final over Matt Taylor found the edge and Roderick stooped low to a catch which was confirmed from square leg by umpire Graham Lloyd.

    It left Middlesex 114 runs in arrears with three wickets left, a position from which Gloucestershire will hope to tactically drive the game on the third day.


     

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