Dent On Fire As Leaders Are Toppled
20 July 2014
Chris Dent wore the broadest smile at the Brewin Dolphin Cheltenham Cricket Festival after smashing an unbeaten 55 off just 23 balls to help Gloucestershire to a six-wicket NatWest T20 Blast win over Essex.
The South Division leaders, beaten only once in their previous 11 group games, looked favourites for most of the match after posting 183-7 from their 20 overs.
Despite an opening stand of 71 between Michael Klinger (45) and Alex Gidman (27), Gloucestershire looked in trouble as the required run rate rose to 13 an over.
But Ian Cockbain (27) helped add 70 in six overs with Dent, who launched 5 sixes in an innings that thrilled the large Festival crowd.
Dent finished the match by hitting a six and a four off successive deliveries from young seamer Matt Salisbury in the final over and Gloucestershire won with two balls to spare.
Afterwards Chris said: "We were behind for a lot of the game, but I was always hopeful that, with a short boundary on one side, we could could make up ground and score the required runs.
"I owed the lads an innings because I have not done well in the competition. Today I planned to attack the short boundary and sometimes it is the simple plans that come off best.
"I have tried to stay positive during my poor run of form and help the other players in the dressing room, but it hasn't been easy.
"Yesterday I had a long chat with Hamish Marshall about how to get out of ruts and he was a great help. Basically, he reminded me that 20 overs is longer than you think and you don't have to panic over the first three or four balls you receive, which I had been doing.
"I'm delighted to have finally made a contribution, but it is no good if I don't build on it. The new 50-over competition is about to start and I believe it will suit us.
"I dropped down to number four because we wanted Benny Howell to go in at three and try to give the innings some impetus. I think that is a good plan.
"It's a relief to get some runs. I have really underachieved this season and I desperately want to kick on from here."
For full details of the thrilling win over Essex click on Cricket and then Match Reports.
