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    Skipper Dent frustrates Middlesex's promotion push

    4 September 2018

    More than four hours of hard graft from Chris Dent was the backbone of Gloucestershire's batting effort on the opening day of their Championship match with Middlesex at the Brightside Ground. 

    The Gloucestershire captain followed up his unbeaten double hundred against Leicestershire with an innings of 82 until he gently lobbed a catch to short mid wicket off Dawid Malan's first ball. The way he placed his hand on his head and dragged himself towards the pavilion spoke volumes.

    Earlier in the day Dent and Miles Hammond had added 63 for the first wicket, but his departure was the first of three wickets that fell for 13 runs either side of tea. Thereafter Ryan Higgins and teenager Ben Charlesworth resisted for well over an hour until the former Middlesex all rounder fell to Harris for 24, leaving Gloucestershire 208-7 at stumps.

    Watch Chris Dent's thoughts on the day's play here:

    Gloucestershire retained the same side that beat Leicestershire on Saturday, and having looked at the pitch and the overhead conditions it was no surprise that Middlesex captain Dawid Malan decided to field first, although initially Tim Murtagh and James Harris drew little response in the air or off the wicket.

    The Middlesex opening bowlers were met by watchful concentration from Dent and Hammond, and it took until the 16th over before Hammond collected the first boundary of the day through the covers off Ethan Bamber.

    By this point James Fuller was also into the attack, and Chris Dent changed the tempo of the session with five fours in two overs all around the wicket off his former team mate.

    Considering there had been a brief delay at the start because of the light, Gloucestershire would have been delighted to get to lunch at 63-0 only for Hammond (23) to play at a wide delivery from Fuller and Malan took the catch at fourth slip.

    The wicket fell in the New Zealander's second spell, which was much more economical and also saw him account for James Bracey, who having made 17 was trapped lbw as he appeared to overbalance towards the off side.

    Having left Ollie Rayner out of their XI, Middlesex's spin options were the more lightly used ones of skipper Malan, Max Holden and Paul Stirling, and the Irishman's one indifferent over saw Dent latch onto a leg side long hop and bring up his half century from 102 balls.

    The captain had made more than half the Gloucestershire total when Benny Howell drove Harris down the ground to take the score into three figures but again a promising start was cut short, Robson taking a low catch at slip off Bamber as Howell tried to check his shot.

    The willing Murtagh had sent down 13 overs without conceding a boundary when Roderick drove him pleasantly past mid off, and Dent moved into the seventies with a deft cut off Holden. The skies were now brighter than at any stage, but a good session was again spoiled by a wicket late on, Dent being undone by Malan's gentle leg spin and Gubbins gratefully taking the catch.

    It left Gloucestershire in almost a mirror image of their position against Leicestershire in the previous match, but rather than be dismissed by the close as they were on that occasion, the seventh wicket pair of Ryan Higgins and Ben Charlesworth showed some some gritty resistance after Roderick (30) and Jack Taylor went within four balls of each other after tea.

    Initially against Middlesex's occasional spinners and latterly Murtagh and Harris with the new ball, Higgins guided Charlesworth through his longest Championship innings to date, with one of the teenager's cover drives off Fuller being as good as any stroke played on the day. 

    Their stand occupied nearly 21 overs and added 34 valuable runs before Harris induced an edge from Higgins and Stirling took his second catch. Two other chances had gone to ground, and at 208-7 overnight, 250 might still be a more than useful score if Gloucestershire can achieve it on Wednesday morning.


     

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