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    REPORT: Rain ruins Saturday's T20 game at Chelmsford

    29 July 2017

    Gloucestershire suffered a second washout in this season's NatWest T20 Blast at Chelmsford against Essex on Saturday evening, although the game was as close it could be possibly be to going ahead.

    Initially the prospects looked poor. Rain had fallen on and off for three hours before the scheduled start time at 6.30pm, although it wasn't until a heavier burst shortly afterwards that puddles started to form on the outfield.

    With estimates from former players suggesting it would take an hour to get the ground ready for play and the rainfall radar indicating a drier (sic) window in mid evening, it was no surprise that umpires Steve O'Shaughnessy and Graham Lloyd called an 8.30pm inspection.

    After a long chat with the ground staff, they decided to have a final look at 9.00pm, when it was decided that 5 overs per side would be possible, starting at 9.27pm - the last possible time to complete a game.

    Gloucestershire - who brought in Gareth Roderick and Chris Liddle for Benny Howell and Tom Smith - won the toss and decided to field, only for the rain to return before play could start and leave the umpires with no option but to abandon proceedings.

    The point gained by Gloucestershire takes them to eight points from eight fixtures in the South Group, with only two of their remaining six to be played at the Brightside Ground.

    Gloucestershire return to action on Thursday August 3rd against Glamorgan at the Swalec Stadium (6.30pm) before the sell out local derby with Somerset 24 hours later (Friday August 4th, 6.30pm).

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