Gloucestershire - That Elusive Championship (Story)

[Imager36]

The 5 Year Plan

When the County Championship was created as an official entity, in December 1889, Gloucestershire were one of the 8 founding counties, who played in the very first competition the following summer. That year it was won by Surrey with the mighty Glos team, led by the legendary W.G. Grace himself, finishing 7th, above only Sussex.

Skip forward 123 years, and they still haven't won a County Championship. They've had 6 silver medals, and 6 one day trophies in that time, but the big 4 day prize has continued to elude them. In 2012, Gloucestershire finished rock bottom of the second division, 68 points off a promotion place to Division One. Now, though, they think they're on to something. They're not going to care about limited overs cricket any more. By becoming a 4 day specialist side, they feel they could be in with a chance of breaking their duck at long last, and maybe even win it multiple times.

A 5 year plan has been set in action. In the first, the county will aim for a respectable finish in Division 2, with possibility of a promotion push. In the second, they will go full out for promotion to Division 1, and after two seasons consolidating at the top table, they will go for the title in the 2017 season, if not earlier.

Since last year, the experienced keeper Johnathan Batty has retired and two young wicketkeepers have signed contracts with the club to try and replace him, Cameron Herring and South African born Gareth Roderick. The club have also managed to snap up 21 year old opener Tom Price, as the number of batsmen of the correct quality at the club was looking worryingly low.

It has been announced that prolific Australian opener Michael Klinger will be the captain of the First Class side, as one of the most experienced players ad to signal the beginning of a new era. The first match of the 2013 season will be against Essex at fortress Chelmsford, and the teams for that match are as follows.

Essex	Gloucestershire
A. Cook	M. Klinger (C)
H. Rutherford	T. Price
R. Bopara	I. Cockbain
J. Foster (C) (K)	H. Marshall
M. Pettini	A. Gidman
G. Westley	W. Gidman
G. Smith	G. Roderick (K)
G. Napier	E. Young
S. Mahmood	D. Payne
D. Masters	J. Fuller
R. Topley	L. Norwell

That Essex team looks formidable to me, and I can't see a way of getting through it... their top and bottom 4s are sensational, whereas ours are average at best. It's a game I'd be happy with a draw from, but we're willing to try and push for whatever we can get. Onwards and upwards! The one piece of real news on this post is that Essex have won the first toss of the season and have unsurprisingly decided to bat first. We'll see what we can do to claim some points.

P.S - If any of the tables used in this story look weird, look at the full view at by clicking here... That weird frame thing annoys me!

P.P.S - The Golden Isles will return in the future, but this target-based story seems like a good challenge right now.

[DaveK93]

Best of luck mate, looks like a great idea! Got a good couple of bowlers in Norwell and Fuller as well, Fuller has been great for me since joining me on my Notts story.

[Imager36]

Best of luck mate, looks like a great idea! Got a good couple of bowlers in Norwell and Fuller as well, Fuller has been great for me since joining me on my Notts story.

Yeah, I had the choice of Glos, Northants or Somerset as the teams who've never won... Somerset don't appeal and I think Northants would be a challenge too far, really!

[Imager36]

A promising start against a very strong side.



Despite Essex choosing to bat first, the weather for the first day, especially the third session, was poor, so we felt we'd have a decent chance of being competitive. As it happened, we didn't even need the evening session to end their first innings, with seamers Norwell, Payne and Fuller taking out the Essex line-up expertly. They were 58/3 with their top 3 gone, and despite a fightback led by captain Foster and Pettini totally a 76 run partnership, we managed to finish as well as we started, taking the last 6 wickets for 35 runs and feeling like we should be able to wrestle a first innings lead.

First up, we had to battle through that evening session. We managed it for the loss of only one wicket, Price out for a first score of 25. Klinger really was Klinging on in this session, making 17 from 87 balls. Cockbain also managed to hold in, but he also scored some runs! When Klinger fell in the morning after adding a brisk 30, we were 118/2 and looking to build a rather big advantage. They needn't have worried. Napier and Mahmood started bowling really smartly, and our lower order crumbled... we'd need to bowl well again.

Unfortunately, Cook wasn't going to fail twice. His century, 145 in total, was supported by able halves from Bopara, Pettini and Westley, the latter of which then took up the baton himself and hit an 83 partnership with Napier to make sure that the game was well out of our reach, us needing almost 400 against a good bowling attack on a decaying pitch.

In the end, we did very well to get as close as we did. We started by losing 3 crucial wickets to put us 43/3. Cockbain played well, with both of the Gidman brothers supporting him and then Will continued, hitting a 64 partnership with Payne to take us within 100 of our victory target. The last two partnerships were worth about 40 in total, and Payne ended 37 not out, but the victory was never really on.

Championship State	We picked up 4 points, and sit 7th, above Kent, who haven't played, and Leics.
Batting Award	Ian Cockbain - Two half centuries shows he has promise, despite the fact I can't stop laughing at his name.
Bowling Award	David Payne - His bowling in the first innings gave us a route into the game.

Aside - James Foster let past 16 byes in that second innings. Wow.

[Imager36]

Northamptonshire - Home - 2013

Gloucestershire	Northamptonshire
M. Klinger (C)	R. Newton
T. Price	S. Peters (C)
I. Cockbain	D. Sales
H. Marshall	A. Hall
A. Gidman	K. Coetzer
W. Gidman	D. Willey
G. Roderick (K)	D. Murphy (K)
E. Young	J. Middlebrook
D. Payne	R. Hinds
J. Fuller	L. Evans
L. Norwell	Azharullah

We, much to my surprise, come up against your old friend and mine Ryan Hinds in this first realistically winnable CC match of the season. As opposed to the Essex team with its star names, this Northants team rather lacks them, although with Hinds at 9 it's clear they bat low, and Azharullah is a very capable bowler, especially against our somewhat fragile batting.

For us, the only possible change was Benny Howell, who scored 159 in the Seconds last week, for Hamish. Marshall keeps his place for at least another match, but if performances go Howell's way he could be featuring in the next line-up. In our first match at Bristol this year, we've asked for a seamers pitch and that's what we've got! Looking pretty green to me, although the sun on Day 1 may counteract that a little.

The news from the middle is that WE have won the toss and chosen to bat first. All rather pleasing for Klinger, winning his first toss as Gloucs captain. Let's hope to get a 300+ first innings score this time!

[UTBash]

ICC aside how was your first year of uni pal?

[Imager36]

Hamish stepped up to the plate and won us 3 points.



Our top order in our first innings were dreadful. Price made a decent 33, and Cockbain, Marshall and Alex all got starts, but they failed to push on, and before we knew it Roderick had gone too to leave us staring down the barrel somewhat at 139/6. Thankfully, our number 8, Ed Young, has batting prowess. He has a FC century in the bag from previous years, and he's no slouch. He soon caught up with and overtook Will G, and even after the latter fell to the dangerous Azharullah for 55, Young continued. He hit out whilst Payne was at the crease, before getting out 6 short of his century. The tail battled, but we could only make 299, one short of an extra batting point!

Their opening partnership was worth 128, almost mockingly of our top order. Even after we got the more attacking Newton and David Sales in quick succession, Peters started attacking and was joined by Hall, who made exactly 50 in a 105 partnership. They had a mini collapse, but Coetzer (48), Middlebrook (64) and Evans (50*) made sure we did not enjoy ourselves, as they racked up a lead in excess of 150.

Soon as that, we were 132/4. Klinger, Price, Cockbain and Alex G had all got starts again and failed to convert any of them in to more than 27 runs. Will G stuck around a while longer with Marshall, who was looking in sublime nick, but did only manage 18 before leaving to put us at 190/5, under 30 ahead! As much as Hamish saved us, so did Roderick (64) and Young (43) who both stuck around for long periods of time and managed to score runs to take our batting into the afternoon session of day 4. Marshall was out 4 short of his first FC double hundred at the age of 34, but he had managed his highest score ever in professional cricket, so I doubt he was too unhappy.

They had no real chance of chasing the runs, and us none of taking the wickets. We bowled aggressively, but I was not impressed with the fact that we only managed 1 wicket by the close of play at all.

Championship State	We sit comfortably 8th, well ahead of the dreadful Leics side but behind all the other teams, all of which (besides Northants, 3 draws), have won one game each.
Batting Award	Marshall/Young - Got to give two awards here really... they both saved us at different points in the match!
Bowling Award	Ed Young - His 4 wickets were all top 6 men in their first innings.

Aside - If, for any reason, anyone feels like playing with Mike Alford et al. in ICC2012, the save for GI2012 is here - https://www.dropbox.com/s/wrwnjp6vlo...t%20Indies.cap

ICC aside how was your first year of uni pal?

Really great, cheers! Loving every second so I don't have to worry about the massive debt too much...

[Graham_5000]

Nice to see you are starting a new story! Enjoy varsity - hope you find a way to play during lectures?!

[DaveK93]

Which uni are you at? At Leicester myself, best decision I've made!

[Imager36]

Leicstershire - Away - 2013

Leicstershire	Gloucestershire
N. O'Brien (K)	M. Klinger (C)
M. Thornely	T. Price
S. Thakor	I. Cockbain
R. Sarwan (C)	H. Marshall
N. Eckersley	A. Gidman
M. Boyce	W. Gidman
G. Smith	G. Roderick (K)
J. Naik	E. Young
M. Hoggard	D. Payne
A. Ireland	I. Saxelby
A. Wyatt	L. Norwell

We make one change to our side. Fuller has had a poor start to the season, taking 3 wickets and being rather expensive, so 23 year old right armer Ian Saxelby makes his first appearance of the season for me. If we weren't playing Leicstershire, a team I do not want to make gambles against, I would have put out 18 year old medium pacer Craig Miles instead after his brilliant start to the second XI season, but Saxelby gets the nod on account of his experience this time. He'll take the new ball with Payne as well, as Norwell hasn't really looked like he's known where he's meant to be putting it yet!

Leics, despite having lost both of their first games, have a strong side when you look at them. Thakor, Sarwan and Eckersley contain most of their batting talent, but it'll be a challenge to get them out, and Hoggard and Naik are obviously big dangers to us. Michael Thornely is a player I really like, the bald champion.

We've won the toss and chosen to bat for the second game in a row. Let's hope we start a little better this time around!

Nice to see you are starting a new story! Enjoy varsity - hope you find a way to play during lectures?!

I think the Android version should see to that... Sit at the back with my tablet looking intelligent and pressing the screen.

Which uni are you at? At Leicester myself, best decision I've made!

I'm at Southampton, so not tooo far from home, but far enough! Back at home at the moment for summer, doing real work in retail is far harder than my uni course at the moment!

[Imager36]

We almost hauled it around, but it was disappointing in the end.



After batting first, we actually did rather well. One partnership did, in particular. Klinger and Price were both out early to leave us 22/2, but Cockbain and Marshall (44) showed a lot of good shots to the opposition to haul us back into the match, and at 116/3 we felt honours were just about even. After the 231 stand between Cockbain and Alex G that followed it, you can imagine how we felt. They both played splendidly well, and at impressive strike rates, to lead us well in front in the match. Ian was recording only his 3rd first class century, and his highest score ever, whereas for Alex it was a more routine 18th ton, but both knocks were crucial and well-made. When Gidman fell to the part-time leggies of Sarwan we were 347/4, and looking to bat them out of the game. We failed to do that, with the lower-middle order all failing, but we ended with 419 in the 103rd over, and were rightly proud of our efforts, especially those of Ian Cockbain.

Unfortunately, our bowling attack seemed largely toothless. The opening partnership, which we didn't regard as particularly strong, made 140 and left us a bit deflated. Thakor only managed 12, but then O'Brien and Sarwan combined to put on 209 runs together and made us feel like our score might have even been below par on this pitch. Even when we'd trapped the Irish keeper, Sarwan continued with Boyce, and the rest of them kept batting to get above 540 and declare on us!

We felt we should be able to draw the game with careful batting, but after an opening partnership of 41, we were reduced to 62/4 and utterly reeling. We were given hope by three half decent partnerships involving Gidman Jr., as Marshall, Roderick and Young held up ends alongside him for a little while, but even when he was out for 75 we were only 80-odd ahead. Ian Saxelby was the only one who gave us a chance, his 48 from 139 balls being the result of some good defensive batting, with Norwell's 18 from 97 balls in just under 2 hours of support, for a partnership of only 49, giving us a hint of a chance at victory.

It looked possible early on, as Thornely, Thakor and Sarwan went early to put them 42/3, but two decent partnerships involving that O'Brien again put them 132/5, and rather coasting. 3 more late wickets left them 8 down, but the runs had mainly been scored by then, and Hoggard hit the 6 that were required fairly easily.

Championship State	We got another 6 points! Yeah, but Leics went above us by winning, so we're now rooted to the bottom.
Batting Award	Ian Cockbain (*snigger*) - Not cocky at all, he really pulled it out and gave Leicstershire one. (We apologise for the poor quality of double entendre today.)
Bowling Award	Ed Young - Wish I'd thrown the ball to him earlier in the second innings... he can do a job.

Stat! - Alex Gidman's 1 in the second innings brought his total of FC runs up to exactly 9000. His OD career runs stand at 4200. The possibility of getting two round numbers like this (one to 1000, one to 100) per batsman per match is one in ten thousand. Cracking.

[Imager36]

In the meantime, before this next match, the AI skipped through 2 YB40 matches, with our side beating the Unicorns but losing narrowly to Leicstershire. None of the changes the computer made played well enough to make me reconsider my side, so here we go again!

Hampshire - Home - 2013

Gloucestershire	Hampshire
M. Klinger (C)	N. McKenzie
T. Price	J. Adams (C)
I. Cockbain	G. Bailey
H. Marshall	M. Carberry
A. Gidman	S. Ervine
W. Gidman	A. Wheater (K)
G. Roderick (K)	J. Vince
E. Young	C. Wood
D. Payne	D. Balcombe
I. Saxelby	D. Briggs
L. Norwell	J. Tomlinson

I think it's safe to say the Hampshire batting line up looks strong, all the way down to James Vince who'll come in at 7 for them! We're hoping to beat them in the bowling department though, and have such prepared a seaming pitch for the occasion. Already this year we're starting to look to consolidate, and to match these guys blow for blow would be be excellent!

At the toss, our task has been made even more difficult, as Hampshire have won it and decided to bat first. I have a feeling we might not get the willow in our hands for a while.

[Scuttsy1]

I do hate the AI for Hampshire in this game, first off McKenzie wasn't available until July, Carberry always opens whatever format but in the game he's in at 4and Adams has come in at 3 all season but is opening in the game. Just baffles me

[Imager36]

WE WON! GUYS, WE WON!



We bowled very poorly to start with in their first innings, the new ball bowlers getting absolutely nothing out of the pitch or conditions, and being flayed to all parts by McKenzie and Adams. After a 98 run opening stand they were out in quick succession to Norwell, but Bailey and Carberry provided no quarter, smashing a partnership of 142 to put the visitors 242/3 when Bailey became Liam's third wicket. The lower order put up pockets of resistance, but wickets came frequently enough to keep us in the game, even though Carberry's was the 9th wicket to fall. Young bowled Briggs for 2, and they were out 5 runs short of all 5 batting points.

Our openers both failed again, surprise surprise, leaving us 22/2 for the second game in a row! Thankfully for us, numbers 3 and 4 have been pretty reliable, and they worked their magic again to deliver us a partnership of 107, Cockbain making 40 and then getting out. Alex G failed, but his brother didn't make the same mistake as he came together with Hamish and together they took us past the 200 mark. An unfortunate late order collapse, in which we lost our last 6 wickets for only 40 runs, meant we narrowly avoided the follow on, but didn't manage our second batting point!

Thankfully, our second innings bowling was better. Payne and Saxelby started like they were on fire, (they weren't, that would have been catastrophic,) taking 5 wickets rather expensively with the new ball between them to leave Hants struggling at 89/5. Bailey and Vince rescued Hampshire with a partnership of 69, and took them to a lead of over 300, which seemed like too many from where I was sitting! The lower order offered few more, and we'd bowled a side out for 190!

Klinger was out early for 22. The surprising thing was the performance of Price! Before this match, he'd made 6 double figure scores from 6 innings, but none of them above 33. He felt like keeping the average number of digits in his scores to exactly 2 after his 8 in the first innings, and set about compiling his first FC century. Cockbain (52) and Marshall (44) were his main helpers on day 3. Marshall was out 5 overs before the end of play, and nightwatchman Ed Young couldn't see out the day, falling for 1. Price was 97* overnight, but hit 7 more the next day to get his milestone and then leave us in the lurch at 239/5! The next partnership, between the Gidmans, was weird. In the end it was worth 59 incredibly valuable runs, but they both gave multiple chances and edged a few. It kept going though, and I was happy until both of them conspired to get out in consecutive overs, with us still a good 40 short. Keeper Roderick managed 10*, but it was Payne, 28*, who showed his batting prowess at number 9 and secured the victory!

Championship State	Those 20 points take us to 38, and we leapfrog Leics, Kent and Glamorgan, with the latter two having a game in hand.
Batting Award	Tom Price - Marshall top-scored for the match, but his maiden ton was special and could not have come at a better time.
Bowling Award	Liam Norwell - Tough call, but he took 4 of the top 5 in their first innings, and that made sure we weren't totally batted out of the match!

Stat! - In 8 opening partnerships this season, our highest has been 41 and our average just 28... We're not building stable bases. The next match is against the Cambridge students, so we'll see how they do there before making a decision on them!

I do hate the AI for Hampshire in this game, first off McKenzie wasn't available until July, Carberry always opens whatever format but in the game he's in at 4and Adams has come in at 3 all season but is opening in the game. Just baffles me

Yeah, it always confuses me... and I always see Carberry on the transfer market a couple of seasons in, with no-one really bothering to sign him! Amazing player, in real life.

[Imager36]

For us in this uni match, we made 9 changes, everyone except from the openers, meaning the team was Klinger (C), Price, Dent, Housego, Howell, Herring (K), J. Taylor, Muchall, Fuller, Miles, M. Taylor. I'm not going to bother explaining who they all are if you don't know, mainly because I doubt we'll see more than about 5 of them playing actual championship matches for me at any point, and if needs be we can explain them then!

We won the toss and batted.

• I like winning. Let's keep winning.
• Klinger resurrected his season with that 83! We hope.
• In the first innings, our opening partnership was worth 54! Yay!
• Taylor, Taylor and Miles bowled very well, despite J. Taylor's 2nd XI averages showing him as an allrounder who can neither bat nor bowl!
• Fuller was a letdown again, so Miles skips ahead of him in the queue.
• Our risky declaration was maybe a little too risky!

And that's about it from what we've learnt! Next up... well, you'll find out when I do a preview in the next post, won't you?