Glos make it two wins in a row at Grace Road
31 July 2015
Grace Road: Gloucestershire 315- beat Leicestershire 314 by one run.
Outstanding fielding made the difference as Gloucestershire made it two wins in as many games after an exciting finish to a wonderful game at Grace Road.
Leicestershire had looked dead and buried when they subsided to 128-5 chasing 316 to win, before a partnership of 96 in just 13.3 overs between 20-year-old Aadil Ali (84 from 86 balls) and 21-year-old Michael Burgess (49 from 44 balls) dragged the Foxes back into contention.
Rob Taylor then hit an unbeaten 42 from just 23 balls, leaving Clint McKay needing to hit three off the last ball to win the game. The Australian drove David Payne hard towards extra cover, but Gloucestershire captain Michael Klinger pulled off a fine diving stop, restricting the hosts to just a single.
Having also beaten Derbyshire off the final ball in their previous RL50 game, Klinger said it was “nice to win some tight matches for a change”.
“We lost our discipline a bit towards the end with our bowling, and we knew they could bat all the way down, but David Payne bowled a tight last over,” said Klinger, who had earlier lost one of his bowlers, James Fuller, who had to be withdrawn from the attack after bowling consecutive beamers – the second time this season the young pace bowler has had to be withdrawn from the attack.
“James does not mean to bowl beamers, but it is the second time he’s done it this season, and it gives me something else to worry about,” said Klinger.
Gloucestershire scored quickly from the start after being put in by Foxes’ skipper Mark Cosgrove. Gareth Roderick, initially in company with Chris Dent, and then with Klinger, paced his innings superbly, taking full advantage of some loose bowling and fielding by the hosts to go to his century off 114 balls.
Geraint Jones then took up the attack in style, hitting a List A career best 87 in his 205th appearance, before being caught at long-on off McKay, comfortably the pick of the Leicestershire bowlers.
When Leicestershire replied, Cosgrove, Angus Robson and Ned Eckersley all gave their wickets away cheaply after getting in, but youngsters Ali and Burgess – the latter making his home debut – played without apparent nerves, and Ali looked unfortunate to be given out caught behind off after a half-hearted appeal.
Taylor hit out strongly though, but lost the strike, and Klinger’s athletic fielding saw the visitors home.
