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    Bracey stands firm against feisty Foxes

    29 August 2018

    A determined innings of 76 from James Bracey - who added exactly 100 runs for the fourth wicket with Gareth Roderick (41) - couldn't stop Leicestershire bowling Gloucestershire out for 202 as Championship cricket returned to the Brightside Ground for the first time since June.

    Bracey came to the crease when Gavin Griffiths broke an opening stand of 50 between Chris Dent and Miles Hammond, and only departed more than three hours later amongst a sequence of five successive wickets to lbw decisions, three of them - including Bracey's - falling to the second new ball.

    The last six Gloucestershire wickets fell for 11 runs as they went from 191-4 to 202 all out, Mohammad Abbas finishing with 5-30. Leicestershire were left with six overs to bat until stumps, long enough for David Payne to send back Harry Dearden thanks to Miles Hammond's smart catch in the slips. At the close, they were 11-1.

    Watch James Bracey's thoughts on the day here :

     

    Gloucestershire made two changes to the side beaten by Warwickshire last week, with Jack Taylor's inclusion giving the side an extra batsman. David Payne also returned, with Chris Liddle and George Drissell making way.

    The morning's play was a quiet affair aside from a spell of 17 deliveries during which three wickets went down. Mohammad Abbas and Ben Raine were disciplined with the new ball, both operating extensively and economically from around the wicket, and it wasn't until Leicestershire captain Paul Horton introduced Dieter Klein that Chris Dent doubled the number of boundaries in the first hour within one over, twice pulling the South African to mid wicket. 

    A cut past point from the Gloucestershre skipper brought up the fifty partnership for the first wicket with Miles Hammond in the 22nd over only for Griffiths to bowl him for 28 without further addition to the score, Dent seeing the ball shatter his stumps via an inside edge as he tried to withdraw his bat.

    Hammond (7) was then caught behind off a thin edge to Mohammad Abbas, and Benny Howell, having been struck on the body off a bottom edge, departed without scoring as Colin Ackermann took a good low catch at second slip. 50-0 had become 50-3, so Bracey and Roderick knew there was some re-balancing to do on the scorecard once they had negotiated the period up until lunch.

    Understandably perhaps, the pace of scoring remained measured after the resumption although Bracey's cover drive was his most lucrative and pleasing stroke, Raine being despatched to the fence on three occasions. 

    Roderick, meanwhile, rode some moments of fortune early on, an edge off Griffiths being spilled low down by Cosgrove at first slip, but he neatly worked the same bowler past point to bring up the fifty partnership in the 46th over. 89 runs were added in the afternoon session against seven different bowlers , and there was little indication of the clatter of wickets to follow once James Bracey reached his fifty in the first over after tea from 143 balls with seven boundaries.

    The century stand between the young left hander and wicket keeper Roderick was only broken when the wiry and persistently accurate Mohammad Abbas trapped Roderick lbw for 41. Jack Taylor, playing in his usual positive fashion, struck spinner Parkinson for a straight six towards the pavilion and Gloucestershire looked well placed at 191-4 ahead of the second new ball. It was then that the day turned once Leicestershire had the bonus of Colin Ackermann's occasional off breaks removing Taylor for 21.

    In 7.3 overs, Mohammad Abbas and Ben Raine took the last five Gloucestershire wickets, Ryan Higgins and Ben Charlesworth both being adjudged lbw to Raine before Bracey was hit on the knee roll of his front pad to become the fifth lbw in a row. Neither David Payne or Matt Taylor troubled the scorers, the latter's departure leaving Mohammad Abbas with 5-30 for his day's work and Gloucestershire with six overs to force a breakthough.

    David Payne secured it in the penultimate over as Dearden's edge was snapped up by Miles Hammond at first slip. Leicestershire closed at 11-1, 191 runs behind and with enough in the pitch for Gloucestershire's bowlers to believe they are still well in the game.

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