Gloucestershire under GrahamB (story)

[GrahamB]

FC Match 5 - Away v Lancashire

Indian all-rounder Abrar Kazi comes in for Ferisco Adams, while Ryan Higgins returns in place of Matt Taylor.
With batsmen Ben Charlesworth, Chris Dent and James bracey all showing good form in the second team, there is added pressure on the incumbents to keep performing.


Gloucestershire

M.Hammond
B.Howell
I.Cockbain (captain)
G.van Buuren
T.Hellawell
A.Kazi
A.Hunt
G.Roderick (wk)
R.Higgins
O.Robinson
D.Payne


Lancashire

A.Davies
R.Jones
H.Hameed
D.Vilas (wk)
S.Croft
K.Boxer
S.Sutton
T.Bailey
R.Patel
R.Gleeson
M.Parkinson

[GrahamB]

We got off to a great start, having Derbyshire reeling at 22/3, but then a huge 247 run partnership for the fourth wicket between Billy Godelman and rising star George Walker turned the tables.
Despite centuries to both Godelman and Warner, our bowlers fought back to have the visitors all out for 381.
The opening pair of Ferisco Adams and Oliver Robinson were the most successful of our bowlers.

Although we lost both openers early in our reply, most other batsmen made solid contributions, with half centuries to Ian Cockbain, Tom Hellawell, Gareth Roderick and Oliver Robinson.
We declared at nine down to put Derbyshire back in 40 minutes before tea on Day 3.

There were no heroics from the visitors second time round, with only a defiant 66 from George Warner holding us up.
With Ferisco Adams bowling out of his skin for 5/23, Derbyshire were dismissed for 157, giving us just over two sessions to chase down victory.

We lost two quick wickets to have some fans worried, but Benny Howell and Graeme van Buuren both scored unbeaten 50's to see us through to victory.


Derbyshire - 381 (B.Godelman-143, G.Warner-118, F.Adams-4/92, O.Robinson-3/104)

Gloucestershire - 386/9 declared (I.Cockbain-68, T.Hellawell-68, G.Roderick-62, O.Robinson-55)

Derbyshire - 157 (G.Warner-66, F.Adams-5/23, O.Robinson-3/28)

Gloucestershire - 156/2 (B.Howell-68no, G.van Buuren-61no)

Win to Gloucestershire by 8 wickets.


We're top of the table for now.
However, the news has come through that Ferisco Adams has been called up for South Africa, so our pace attack is going to be less lethal,
as reserve overseas player Abrar Kazi is a spin bowler.

[DaveRobbo]

Not sure what to say about that Glamorgan match, 1400 runs in 2 and a half innings! Madness. You're looking good this season

[GrahamB]

FC Match 4 - Home v Derbyshire

With poor weather likely to affect the start of this game, we've made two changes to our playing eleven.
Out of form Ryan Higgins and spin bowler Mark Watt drop out, with David Payne and Matt Taylor coming in.


Gloucestershire

M.Hammond
B.Howell
I.Cockbain (captain)
G.van Buuren
T.Hellawell
A.Hunt
G.Roderick
F.Adams
O.Robinson
D.Payne
M.Taylor


Derbyshire

T.Latham
B.Godelman
W.Madsen
L.du Plooy
G.Warner
C.MacLeod
H.Hosein (wk)
L.van Beek
S.Sharif
R.Rampaul
H.Qadri


Surprisingly, Derbyshire have not taken up the option of bowling first.
We won the toss and made that choice.

[GrahamB]

I guess that this pitch was never going to produce a result. It was just too much in favour of the batsmen.

Led by a savage innings from Colin Ingram, a more measured knock from Connor Brown, plus good contributions from Angelo Perera and Chis Cooke as well, Glamorgan posted 371 all out in their first innings.
Oliver Robinson was the most successful of our bowlers, finishing with 4/63, while Graeme Buuren took 3/70.

A third FC hundred from Benny Howell saw us off to a good start in reply, but this was overshadowed by a huge partnership of 336 for the fifth wicket between Tom Hellawell and Anthony Hunt.
Hellawell's maiden FC century turned into an unbeaten double century, while Hunt scored 157 before being dismissed.
We declared at 635/6 late on Day 4, hoping that our bowlers might have some success bowling with a first innings lead of 264 runs.

However, Colin Ingram was even more brutal in his second innings knock than he'd been in the first innings, this time scoring 172 off 167 balls.
With stubborn support from those around him, Glamorgan was able to bat out the draw, finishing on 344/5.


Glamorgan - 371 (C.Ingram-143, C.Brown-55, O.Robinson-4/63, G.van Buuren-3/70)

Gloucestershire - 635/6 declated (T.Hellawell-204no, A.Hunt-157, B.Howell-108)

Glamorgan - 344/5 (C.Ingram-172)

Match drawn.

[GrahamB]

Great description mate

Glad you're enjoying it.

[Dhruv]

Great description mate

[GrahamB]

FC Match 2 - Home v Glamorgan

With a good chance that the pitch will take turn later on, we've included Mark Watt to partner Graeme van Buuren.
Benny Howell's excellent form with bat and ball in the OD games has seen him preferred to Chris Dent, as he can provide an added seas option.
So theoretically we have all bases covered.


Gloucestershire

M.Hammond
B.Howell
I.Cockbain (captain)
G.van Buuren
T.Hellawell
A.Hunt
G.Roderick (wk)
F.Adams
R.Higgins
O.Robinson
M.Watt


Glamorgan

J.Lawlor
C.Brown
C.Ingram
A.Perera
B.Root
C.Cooke
G.Wilson (wk)
G.Kennedy
M.de Lange
T.van der Gugten
L.Carey


Unfortunately we've lost the toss and will have to bowl first.

[GrahamB]

OD Match 8 - Away v Essex

For our final OD match, we decided to rest Chris Dent, Graeme van Buuren, Ryan Higgins and David Payne to reward those squad members who'd been performing well for the second team.
So in came Tom Hellawell, James Bracey, Matt Taylor and Mark Watt.
A big risk in a game that we so badly wanted to win!

We won the toss and chose to bat first on a perfect summer's day.
We were determined to bat with a more aggressive approach to take the game out of reach and provide some added protection to our new bowlers.
Captain, Ian Cockbain, coming in at number 3, provided just the innings we needed, belting 148 off 131 balls.
We raced through to 328/4, surely enough to see us end with a 50% record.

When Essex came out to bat, Alastair Cook had menace in his eyes and proceeded to smash Ferisco Adams for five succesive boundaries!
But Adams soon had his revenge, going through Cook with a great yorker.
Tom Westley, Mohammad Hafeez and Adam Wheater tried to keep the momentum going, but the pressure of such a large chase saw each fall before doing too much damage.
With Ferisco Adams and Benny Howell snaring four victims each, Essex succumbed for a disappointing 136 all out, giving us victory by a huge margin.


Gloucestershire - 328/4 (I.Cockbain-148, B.Howell-51)

Essex - 136 (B.Howell-4/18, F.Adams-4/45)

Win to Gloucestershire by 192 runs!

[GrahamB]

OD Match 7 - Home v Sussex

With support from all of those partnering him, Mile Hammond set us up for our best score so far of 283/4.

We were rightly confident, and with Sussex at 90/2, all was going okay.
Enter Philip Salt and Delano Potgieter. With some swashbuckling hitting, they helped powered their side home with alarming ease.


Gloucestershire - 283/4 (M.Hammond-109no)

Sussex - 285/3 (D.Potgieter-110no, P.Salt-80)

Win to Sussex by 7 wickets.

[GrahamB]

OD Match 6 - Home v Glamorgan

This was the first time that an ex-player came back to bite us!
Glamorgan batted first, and it was George Hankins who set the pace for a sizable score with an aggressive knock of 87.
Then just when we fought back to have the visitors on the ropes at 206/7, Irish keeper Gary Wilson and fast bowler Max de Lange took their side to a daunting 286/9.
Ryan Higgins was the best of our bowlers with 3/40, while Stuart Whittingham was more expensive with his 3/57.

Our chase was pretty dismal, with only a well-hit 58 from Ferisco Adams sparing us from complete humiliation.
Graham Kennedy and Max de Lange finished with three wickets each, as Glamorgan powered to a big win.


Glamorgan - 286/9 (G.Hankins-87, G.Wilson-63no, R.Higgins-3/40, S.Whittingham-3/57)

Gloucestershire - 164 (F.Adams-58, G.Kennedy-3/33, M.de Lange-3/35)

Win to Glamorgan by 122 runs.


We're now 3 wins and 3 losses.

[GrahamB]

OD Match 5 - Away v Somerset

Somerset batted first and were in early trouble at 35/2.
Then Tom Abell and James Hildreth combined for a 100 run partnership to get the innings back on track.
However, a dramatic collapse saw their hard work undone, as our bowlers dismissed their side for a paltry 185.
Abell was top-scorer with 75, while Ryan Higgins and Benny Howell both took three wickets.

In our reply, Benny Howell played an anhoring role, finishing unbeaten on 78 as we wrapped up our third OD win.


Somerset - 185 (T.Abell-75, B.Howell-3/32, R.Higgins-3/34)

Gloucestershire - 188/4 (B.Howell-78no)

Win to Gloucestershire by 6 wickets.

[GrahamB]

OD Match 4 - Home v Hampshire

Another lame effort from us batting first, as we slumped from 192/6 to 225 all out.
Benny Howell and Gareth Roderick both scored half centuries, but there was little else to enthuse about.
Brad Taylor was the most successful of the Hampshire bowlers.

With the visitors at 58/3, things could have gone either way, but a 131 run partnership between James Vince and Tom Alsop saw Hampshire to within sight of victory.
Vince was a real beast, pounding our bowlers for a terrific 104.


Gloucestershire - 225 (G.Roderick-54, B.Howell-50, B.Taylor-3/40)

Hampshire - 226/5 (J.Vince-104, T.Alsop-58, D.Payne-3/43)

Win to Hampshire by 5 wickets.

[GrahamB]

OD Match 3 - Home v Kent

We were asked to bat first and struggled to gain momentum at any stage.
Benny Howell, Ian Cockbain and Graeme van Buuren all got established at the top of the order, but only van Buuren was able to get on top of the bowling.
It was only a quick burst from Anthony Hunt towards the end that managed to get us through to 236/5.
Barry McCarthy was the best of the Kent bowlers, finishing with 2/28 from his ten overs.

We had Kent at 52/2, at which stage young Hugh Rodgers walked out to the middle.
He proceeded to play a masterful innings of 102no from 109 balls to get the visitors through to a comfortable win.
Ferisco Adams was the best of our bowlers, taking 4/56.


Gloucestershire - 236/5 (I.Cockbain-76, G.van Buuren-67)

Kent - 239/5 (H.Rodgers-102no, F.Adams-4/56)

Win to Kent by 5 wickets.


A result that will please DaveRobbo.

[GrahamB]

OD Match 2 - Away v Middlesex

After winning the toss, we asked our hosts to bat first.
And what a start, as David Payne took three early wickets to help reduce Middlesex to 15/4!
Despite the best efforts of George Scott and Max Holden to hold the innings together so that a dect score could be posted, at 61/8, it was left to a determined knock from Tim Murtagh to help Scott nurse the eventual total through to 133 all out.
Payne showed why he is one of the country's top OD bowlers by finishing with 5/36.

Chasing such a modest total for victory, Miles Hammond and Benny Howell got us off to the perfect start, putting on 77 for the opening partnership. It was Hammond's 60 that was the backbone of our effort, as we went on to win fairly easily.


Middlesex - 133 (D.Payne-5/36)

Gloucestershire - 134/4 (M.Hammond-60)

Win to Gloucestershire by 6 wickets.