Cockbain leads day of brisk batting
31 March 2016
Ian Cockbain marked his first first-class innings for Gloucestershire since July 2015 with a half century against the students from Durham MCCU on a bright day at the Bristol County Ground.
Batting at the top of the order, Cockbain went on to make 84, his highest first class score since his career best 151* against Surrey in 2014. With the exception of debutant George Hankins all the other front line batsmen managed to get a start, with Gareth Roderick (56) and Kieran Noema-Barnett (55) also completing half centuries.
Skipper Roderick's declaration shortly before 5.30 came with Gloucestershire on 348-7. It left Durham MCCU with just under an hour to bat until stumps, which they negotiated with openers Kurtz and Clark still together in reaching 39 for no wicket.
In the corresponding match against Cardiff MCCU last season, Gloucestershire scored 377-6 declared on the first day, and after Roderick won the toss and chose to bat, the way Dent and Cockbain set off suggested a similar total was likely.
Dent was quick to punish a loose opening spell from Jenkins, collecting three boundaries in quick succession despite a lush outfield. Wood, who shared the new ball, and Phillips, who replaced Jenkins after only three overs, sent down 14 overs before Phillips managed a maiden. Three overs later, he broke an opening stand of 63 with the aid of Steel's catch to remove Dent for 37.
That brought in George Hankins for his first class debut, although it was to be a relatively brief affair. With spinner Dewes already into the attack, Hankins was almost caught at slip attempting to steer him to third man before being playing too early at a ball from the returning Jenkins, and being through the shot before the ball hit the stumps.
Cockbain, meanwhile, had patiently accumulated his runs, although not completely without alarm. Twice he survived strong appeals for catches at the wicket, but faced with a long spell from left arm spinner Dewes at the Pavilion End, steadily his timing improved and he struck the only six of a pre-lunch session where Durham MCCU bowled much better after the first hour.
Gloucestershire came out at the resumption with the intent of picking up the tempo, and with Jenkins straying down the leg side, both Cockbain and Roderick profited early on.
Roderick was dropped off the persistent spin of Dewes - a difficult over the shoulder chance at long on when he'd made 45 - but it didn't prove too costly as seamer Phillips returned to remove the Gloucestershire captain for 56 with the aid of a tumbling catch by 'keeper Dunford. Like Cockbain, Roderick had reached his half century off 82 balls, and in all his innings contained eight fours.
Having missed the final two months of the last domestic season, Cockbain will have been grateful to bank a long innings before the Championship campaign gets underway. Post the lunch interval, he settled into a comfortable rhythm where collecting singles dominated his scoring strokes, although there was one lovely cover drive off Phillips. A first century of the summer, and only his fourth in first class cricket, seemed well within his reach when, on 84 and after striking 11 fours and two sixes, Dewes induced a gentle clip to Gibson at mid off.
Dewes by this stage had bowled unchanged for 23 overs, and his second breakthrough followed shortly afterwards, as Hamish Marshall was trapped lbw for 24. That brought Kieran Noema-Barnett in to join Benny Howell, and with the outfield quickening up and the ball 66 overs old, the pair were able to collect runs with relative freedom either side of tea. Both struck off spinner Macdonell for six, and the runs kept coming against the seamers even after the new ball was taken.
20 overs had produced a 90 run partnership before Howell edged Jenkins to Durham MCCU skipper Clark at slip for 43, and Noema-Barnett went soon afterwards, caught on the cover boundary off Phillips for 55, made from 64 balls with eight fours and a six.
Miles and season long loanee Josh Shaw added a further 27 runs before skipper Roderick decided an hour's bowling would be beneficial and declared with Gloucestershire 348-7, made from 91 overs.
Gloucestershire's new ball pairing of Payne and Norwell then failed to dislodge either Kurtz or skipper Clark as the two Durham MCCU openers opted for determined defence in the final phase of the day. Skipper Gareth Roderick employed four slips throughout but nothing resembling a chance carried to them, leaving Durham MCCU to resume on day two 309 runs behind on 39 without loss.
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