Dawson declares Dent's 268 "top class"
24 September 2015
An eighth wicket stand of 168 between Chris Dent and James Fuller, both of whom recorded their highest scores in first class cricket, was the centrepiece of a day dominated by the bat as Gloucestershire tried to force a winning position over Glamorgan in the last Championship match of the season at the Bristol County Ground.
Dent made his first Championship double hundred before he was last out for 268, made in just over eight hours at the crease. It is the 11th highest innings in the history of the club, and one which drew fulsome praise from head coach Richard Dawson at the close of play.
Dawson was impressed by Dent's concentration, his shot selection and his running between the wickets with Fuller, whose innings of 73 in 99 balls was his second half century of the season.
Their stand took Gloucestershire from a substantial deficit to a useful lead by the time they were all out shortly after tea but by stumps Glamorgan - who trailed by 125 on first innings - had cut the deficit to 37 with an unbroken opening stand of 88 between Jacques Rudolph and James Kettleborough, increasing the chances of the match ending in a draw.
Listen to Chris Dent talk about his record breaking innings here :
The morning began with Gloucestershire still 40 runs shy of the follow-on target, and a couple of early wickets for Glamorgan fleetingly kept alive any hopes they might have had of enforcing it.
Benny Howell hadn't added to his overnight score when he shouldered arms and saw his off stump knocked out of the ground by Michael Hogan for 40, and Kieran Noema-Barnett had made only five when he pushed tentatively at a ball from Craig Meschede and was caught at point by Andrew Salter.
At that stage 21 runs were still required, but Jack Taylor dispelled any tension there might have been with a bright and breezy 35, batting in the sort of fashion which has been so effective in limited overs cricket this summer.
He took four boundaries off an over from Meschede, and two more from Dewi Penrhyn Jones before trying to pull the same bowler to deep square leg and top edging a catch to wicketkeeper Cooke.
All the while Chris Dent was quietly accumulating runs at the other end, edging towards improving his Championship best score, 153 made against Kent at Cheltenham in 2013. He also played the most aesthetically pleasing shot of the morning, a text book cover drive off Penrhyn Jones.
Gloucestershire scored 90 runs in a morning session interrupted for 25 minutes by rain, but it was when Tom Smith also top edged Penrhyn Jones to Cooke shortly before the second new ball was due that the flood gates opened up.
Fuller came in with attacking intent, even though Gloucestershire were still 99 runs behind at 334-7, he was soon using his feet to come down the pitch and whip Meschede through mid wicket.
A straight drive off Hogan and a steer over the slips further annoyed the Glamorgan bowlers, and with Dent looking in complete control, the pair added 50 in only eight overs, Dent passing his previous best Championship score (153) with a typical pull to mid wicket, again off Meschede.
Whatever combination of bowlers were employed by Glamorgan captain Jacques Rudolph, the runs continued to flow freely, Dent scoring effortlessly on the leg side and Fuller mixing some smart singles with more forceful shots, including one boundary clubbed through extra cover off Wagg.
The New Zealander had made one half century against Derbyshire earlier in the season but having narrowly missed one against Surrey Fuller was determined not to do so again, and with Dent's encouragement he reached his fifty off 53 balls with seven fours. Dent, however, was to reach not one but three personal landmarks during the afternoon.
The 24 year old left hander not only passed 1000 first class runs for the summer, which included a half century in the Cardiff MCCU game in April, but also 1000 Championship runs as he completed a first double hundred in the competition when he steered Penrhyn Jones into the offside for a single. While the Glamorgan attack were tiring on a flat pitch, the innings was an object lesson in Championship batting, made from 274 deliveries with 27 boundaries and a solitary six.
A cut off Wagg took Dent beyond his previous highest score in a first class match, and he and Fuller had put on 168 in 31 overs when Fuller tried to drive off spinner Salter over long on and was caught, in juggling fashion, on the boundary by Penrhyn Jones.
A free scoring afternoon session containing over 200 runs was capped by Dent reaching 250 in the final over, an achievement which was warmly applauded by the Glamorgan players.
He lost ninth wicket partner David Payne to Salter shortly after tea, and finally succumbed himself to a catch taken at the second attempt by Wagg at deep mid wicket, also off Salter. It took a discussion between the umpires to confirm Dent's departure for 268, a score which included 34 fours and two sixes.
Gloucestershire's first innings total of 558 - by some distance their highest of the season - gave them a lead of 125, and left Glamorgan 27 overs to bat before the close.
In weak autumnal sunshine Rudolph and Kettleborough were as untroubled as the Gloucestershire batsmen earlier in the day. Skipper Will Tavare used five bowlers but there was no breakthrough, Rudolph calmly completing a 70 ball half century with eight fours. Glamorgan will resume on the final day on 88 without loss, only 37 behind and with the draw the most likely outcome.
