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Charlesworth century leads Gloucestershire charge on day two

23 August 2024

By Richard Latham

Ben Charlesworth led the way with 105 not out as Gloucestershire produced a determined fightback on the second day of the Vitality County Championship Second Division game with Leicestershire at Bristol.

The 23-year-old left hander notched his second first class century off 164 balls, with 14 fours and 3 sixes, in a Gloucestershire first innings total that had reached 227 for three by the time bad light ended play seven overs early. James Bracey was unbeaten on 34.

Leicestershire had posted 402 all out in their first innings from an overnight 291 for seven. Liam Trevaskis contributed 50 and Tom Scriven 60 off 84 balls, while Zaman Akhter finished with three for 110.

There was bright sunshine over the Seat Unique Stadium for most of the day, but also a blustery wind. Leicestershire added 14 to their overnight total before Ben Green, back on loan from Somerset, was bowled for ten by Akhter off an inside edge and pad.

By the time the second new ball was taken, Leicestershire were 319 for eight. It had barely any effect as Trevaskis went to fifty off 108 balls, with 6 fours, helped by Scriven in a taking the score to 381with a ninth-wicket stand of 76.

Off-spinner Ollie Price ended it by having Trevaskis caught in the covers to earn a third bowling bonus point. But Scriven wasn’t finished and completed a half-century of 78 balls, with his seventh boundary, stroked through extra cover off Price.

It was largely due to Scriven’s efforts that Leicestershire took a fourth batting point. He brought up 400 with a pulled four off Akhter and was clearly looking to hit out when lofting a catch to long-on off Price to complete the innings.

Lunch had been delayed for the fall of the final wicket and Gloucestershire began their reply at the start of the afternoon session. Soon the Leicestershire seamers were finding the pitch as unresponsive as their Gloucestershire counterparts had done as Charlesworth and Cameron Bancroft put together a half-century opening stand in 13 overs.

Charlesworth top-edged a pull shot for six off Josh Hull, but it was one of few false shots as both he and Bancroft settled in to play some delightful strokes. Bancroft was particularly strong through the leg-side and it was a surprise when the Australian edged an attempted cover drive off Scriven to second slip and departed for 39.

At 68 for one, Price joined Charlesworth and made only six before getting a thin edge to an attempted pull shot off Hull and feathering through to wicketkeeper Peter Handscomb. Charlesworth was unbeaten on 42 when tea was taken at 4pm with Gloucestershire 102 for two.

The tall all-rounder soon moved to his half-century at the start of the final session with a flashing square cut boundary off Scriven. He had faced 96 deliveries and hit 7 fours and a six, rarely looking in the slightest trouble.

Fellow left-hander Hammond was also producing some swashbuckling shots as the pair took the score past 150 in the 39th over. They had added 65 in 16.2 overs when Green made an important breakthrough, nipping one back off the seam to pin Hammond lbw for 29.

Charlesworth had a moment of anxiety on 77 when surviving a loud shout for a catch behind off Scriven. But there were to be no nervous nineties for him as two mighty blows cleared the ropes in the same over from left-arm spinner Trevaskis and took him to three figures.

It was a hugely impressive ton from a young player long earmarked for a big future. Bracey leant typically solid support, but with rain forecast for tomorrow morning it may take a supreme effort from one of the teams to force a decisive result on such a bat-friendly surface.

DAY TWO HIGHLIGHTS

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