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    Career best figures for Matt Taylor in draw with Cardiff MCCU

    3 April 2018

    Matt Taylor recorded career best bowling figures in a first class game as Gloucestershire's three day match with Cardiff MCCU at the Brightside Ground ended in a draw.

    After the middle day was lost to rain, Gloucestershire declared on their overnight total from Sunday evening (359-5), and Matt Taylor took advantage of an inexperienced batting line up and helpful conditions to take 5-15 in 14 overs.

    Dismissed for 95 on their last visit here in 2015, Cardiff MCCU edged past that total this time thanks to a ninth wicket partnership between Andrew Brewster and Sam Pearce, who top scored with 35 before he was last out with the total on 101.

    Gloucestershire opted against enforcing the follow-on, and instead used the remaining time for some extra batting practice, Chris Dent passing 7,000 career runs in first class cricket. At stumps, Gloucestershire were 140-2 in their second innings, 398 ahead and with George Hankins having made an unbeaten half century.

    Well before the scheduled start, umpires Ian Blackwell and Jeff Evans held a long discussion about the conditions underfoot. Despite the sterling work of the groundstaff parts of the ground remained very wet, but on the provisio that they would abandon the game if the early overs badly damaged the playing area, the umpires agreed play could begin on time. With liberal sprinklings of sawdust in the bowlers footmarks, it proved a proactive call.

    Matt Taylor and Craig Miles shared the new ball, and against a team with five players making their first class debuts - including all the top three in the batting order - Gloucestershire dominated the morning session, taking five wickets for only 45 runs in 28 overs.

    A couple of LBW appeals had already been turned down when Taylor knocked out Allen's off stump in the seventh over via a bottom edge, and Woodland soon followed, caught at point by Miles. Taylor's figures for his opening spell were 6-4-5-2, and soon after Liddle's introduction at the Ashley Down Road end, Cardiff MCCU skipper Alex Milton gave Gareth Roderick a straight forward catch.

    Opener Joe Ludlow had looked marginally more assured, and he had made exactly half the total when Taylor was recalled and Hankins held a juggling effort at third slip to leave the visitors 38-4. Miles, also back for a second spell, clean bowled former Gloucestershire wicket keeper Cameron Herring for nine in a morning where the procession of wickets was a steady one.

    With three wickets already in his locker, Matt Taylor set a new career best in first class cricket with two LBW decisions against Machado and Evans soon after the resumption, in so doing taking five wickets in an innings for only the third time in his career.

    Craig Miles began the match on 197 first class wickets, and when Turpin edged to Kieran Noema-Barnett at first slip, it looked as if he too would hit a personal milestone. It was Liddle and Noema-Barnett who mopped up the tail however, but not before Pearce, batting at number seven, played some pleasant strokes off the front foot as captain Chris Dent persisted with attacking fields throughout the Cardiff MCCU innings.

    40 minutes remained until tea when the last wicket fell, and it was George Hankins who joined Dent for the final phase of the match as the pair - dismissed cheaply on Sunday - sought some valuable batting practice.

    Dent soon passed 7,000 first class runs with a pull to long leg off Evans, and Hankins kept his captain company for 20 overs, adding 79 together until Dent retired out having made 45.

    Hankins remained until the close, finishing 54 not out in a second innings total of 140-2 made in 35 overs, useful time in the middle with the first Championship fixture only ten days away.

    At the close, head coach Richard Dawson said "We spoke about not giving batsmen the chance to play off the back foot. We asked the bowlers to be prepared to allow the drive, which they were, and I was pleased with the control we showed and the length we bowled."

    Gloucestershire play Somerset in a 50 over match at the Brightside Ground on Wednesday April 4th. Admission is free.

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