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Bracey shines with bat as bad light ends play early

26 September 2022

England Test quick Matthew Fisher took a first-morning four-for during an intriguing opening day against Gloucestershire at Headingley as Yorkshire bid for LV= Insurance County Championship safety.

Fisher, 24, has missed the majority of the 2022 season with a stress fracture of his back, suffered during his county’s opening game at Bristol in mid-April.

But the fast bowler has battled back to fitness in time to help his side bowl Gloucestershire out for 190 shortly before tea, taking four for 45 from 12 overs. 

Yorkshire’s reply then closed on 80 for three in the 27th over, bad light ending the day almost 12 overs early.  

This was a day Fisher will not forget, given it started with him being awarded his first-team cap by Steve Patterson, the club legend who is playing his last game for Yorkshire. 

James Bracey top-scored for Gloucester with 71 off 112 balls after electing to bat first. 

Yorkshire came into this game 15 points ahead of second-bottom Warwickshire in Division One, knowing a maximum 10-point haul would secure safety. They have already secured three of them.  

Fisher suffered his injury less than a month after making his Test debut against the West Indies in Barbados in March. 

In the last fortnight, after months of rehab, he has taken six wickets in a Roses second-team game and captained them to the Championship title.  

Today started with him being awarded his first-team Yorkshire cap almost seven-and-a-half years after his debut in a one-day game aged 15. 

Patterson also presented captain Jonny Tattersall with his cap during the morning warm-ups.

Fisher initially bowled only a two-over opening spell from the Howard Stand before switching to Kirkstall Lane, where he benefitted from extra bounce in a devastating five-over burst.

He struck in each of the first four overs of the spell, getting first Ben Charlesworth caught behind, the opener falling for 25 as the score fell to 30 for one after 13 overs.

He then forced Chris Dent, the other left-handed opener, to play on before Miles Hammond edged behind to hand Tattersall his second catch. 

And when Ollie Price was squared up and edged to fourth slip, Gloucester were 47 for four after 19 overs.

Bracey and captain Graeme van Buuren steadied through to lunch - 90 for four - but Yorkshire were back amongst the wickets during an afternoon that was briefly halted by a 10-minute rain shower.

Ben Coad struck twice in the 34th over as the score slipped to 102 for six.

He broke a 53-run partnership between Bracey and van Buuren by trapping the latter lbw playing back for 25 before Jack Taylor was bowled.

Shortly afterwards, Gloucester were 128 for seven when Zafar Gohar edged Patterson to first slip.

Bracey came into this game with two Championship hundreds to his name in 2022, including 117 in the second innings of the April defeat against Yorkshire at Bristol.

He drove well on the way to a 70-ball half-century and was largely composed under the Headingley floodlights, in use for most of the day.

He also shared 44 for the eighth wicket with new ball bowler Tom Price, who made a useful and belligerent 38.

However, Bracey was struck on the helmet by a Jordan Thompson bouncer moments before inside-edging George Hill behind - 172 for eight in the 55th.

Hill bowled David Payne later in the over before Dom Bess removed Price for a useful 38 via the same method to signal an early tea, when the Northern Diamonds women paraded the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy they won yesterday.

Ajeet Singh Dale trapped opener James Wharton lbw for a 28-ball duck before Hill chased a wide one and edged Payne behind - Yorkshire 32 for two inside 16 overs of their reply.

Adam Lyth then edged Tom Price to third slip for 44 with what proved the day’s last ball. 

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