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Career-best figures for Webster as Bracey keeps Glos in contest

25 May 2024

Derbyshire’s Matt Lamb and Gloucestershire’s Beau Webster set memorable personal milestones on the second day of the Vitality County Championship Second Division match at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol.

Unbeaten on 186 overnight, Lamb completed his maiden first class double century before falling for 207 in a Derbyshire total of 526 all out. Anuj Dal contributed 62 as the visitors bagged maximum batting bonus points.

Webster’s six for 100 from 26 overs was a career-best on his home debut for Gloucestershire. The 6ft 7ins Australian seamer had never before taken even five wickets in a first class innings.

By the close, the home side had responded to Derbyshire’s huge total with 243 for four, James Bracey leading the way with an unbeaten 87 and sharing an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 112 with skipper Graeme van Buuren, who was 61 not out

Derbyshire began the day on 434 for five. Lamb and Dal batted with few alarms and an edge wide of the slips for four off Ajeet Singh Dale took Lamb to his double ton off 254 balls, with 30 fours and a six.

His innings spanning six hours and 19 minutes ended when he edged a short of a length delivery from Singh Dale through to wicketkeeper Bracey to make the score 487 for six. The stand with Dal had added 78 runs in 27.2 overs.

Alex Thomson quickly fell lbw to a Webster yorker. But Dal was looking well set and brought up the 500 by clipping Ollie Price through the leg side for two in the 118th over before going to an elegant half-century off 113 balls, with 6 fours.

It was 520 for eight when Zak Chappell drove a catch to cover to give Webster his fifth wicket. He quickly added another, bowling Sam Connors for a second ball duck.

Dal was last man out, caught behind looking to attack Singh Dale, having produced some wristy shots on both sides of the pitch. Webster led Gloucestershire off to warm applause from team-mates and lunch was taken.

The home side’s reply got off to a poor start when, with the total on 15, Cameron Bancroft shouldered arms to a ball slanted into him by Connors and had his middle stump knocked back.

Price suffered a blow on the helmet from a short ball by Daryn Dupavillon and took 28 balls to get off the mark as Derbyshire’s bowlers gave the Gloucestershire attack a lesson in accuracy, sending down four successive maidens.

Frustration cost Price his wicket on three. Having aimed two big shots at Chappell deliveries, he perished attempting a big drive in the same over, edging a straightforward catch to third slip.

When Miles Hammond, on 18, had his middle stump ripped out of the ground by a Dal delivery that went between bat and pad, Gloucestershire were in peril at 63 for three. But opener Ben Charlesworth was set and Bracey helped add 57 before tea, which was taken at 120 for three off 34 overs.

Bracey had moved smoothly to 40, with Charlesworth on 35. The two left-handers were parted in the final session with the total on 131 when Charlesworth, who has batted consistently well this season, edged a defensive shot off a good length Chappell delivery through to wicketkeeper Brooke Guest.

That brought van Buuren to the crease with his side still 395 runs behind and he survived a confident Chappell appeal for lbw before he had scored, the ball striking his back pad.

Bracey went to an assured fifty off 72 balls with his eighth four, sweetly struck through the covers off Chappell, who was working up a head of steam from the Pavilion End. Then van Buuren went on the counterattack, hitting successive fours of Dal and dominating the strike.

Bracey greeted Alex Thomson’s return to the attack at 190 for four by launching the off-spinner’s sixth delivery back over his head for six before van Buuren went to a 76-ball half-century, with 7 fours.

By stumps Bracey had faced 131 deliveries and struck 12 fours and a six. With rain forecast tomorrow and the pitch looking very flat, a draw appears the most likely outcome.

DAY TWO HIGHLIGHTS

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