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Gloucestershire dominate second day in Worcester

17 September 2019

Promotion-chasing Gloucestershire are in the driving seat heading into the third day of the Specsavers County Championship encounter with Worcestershire at Blackfinch New Road, needing 61 runs to win with 6 wickets remaining.

Gloucestershire will be on the verge of returning to the top flight for the first time in 14 years if they can complete a fifth win of the campaign tomorrow.

Tight and disciplined Worcestershire bowling reduced them to 54-4 from 29 overs by the close and with work to do if they are to get over the finishing line after a day in which 20 wickets fell.

Depending on other results, Gloucestershire may need only a handful of bonus points from next week’s home encounter with Northamptonshire if they overcome their local rivals.

Gloucestershire were indebted to major contributions with bat and ball from Ryan Higgins and David Payne.

A quickfire eighth wicket partnership of 62 wrestled the initiative away from Worcestershire this morning and earned their side a first innings advantage of 14.

Then the duo wreaked havoc with the new ball in reducing Worcestershire to 33-5 and they were eventually bowled out for 128 in 39.5 overs.

Higgins went onto eventually take his 50th Championship wicket of the campaign. He has also scored 957 Championship runs in a splendid season for the former Middlesex player.

But Adam Finch (2), Joe Leach (1) and Charlie Morris (1) ensured Gloucestershire had to fight for every run in the final two hours of the day.

In the morning session Worcestershire all-rounder Ed Barnard had dominated proceedings with the ball and finished with figures of 6-42 from 14.2 overs.

He added three more victims to his overnight tally as Gloucestershire, who resumed on 87-4, were dismissed for 221.

Barnard broke a stand of 72 in 24 overs between Ben Charlesworth (21) and Gareth Roderick (40) with the pair both lbw.

The England Lions all-rounder then held onto a stinging catch at gulley off Jack Taylor (4) from the bowling of Dillon Pennington before Higgins and Payne launched a counter-attack which produced a 50 partnership from just 33 balls.

The stand was worth 62 when Leach collected two wickets in two balls.

Higgins (42) nicked through to keeper Cox via an inside edge onto his thigh pad and Josh Shaw (0) was bowled first ball.

Shannon Gabriel survived the hat-trick ball and then Payne lofted Leach for six over long on to push Gloucestershire into the lead in an eventful over.

But Barnard returned to the attack bowl Payne (43) with the total on 235

When Worcestershire batted, Payne started the slump with the first ball of the innings when Daryl Mitchell (0) was trapped lbw with a delivery which cut back sharply.

Jack Haynes made a breezy 20 but then was strangled down the leg side with keeper James Bracey – substituting behind the stumps for the injured Gareth Roderick – taking a good catch away to his left.

Higgins made it two wickets in two deliveries as Alex Milton went lbw to complete a pair after looking to work to leg.

Riki Wessels (5) was bowled via the inside edge by Payne and then Ben Cox (1) walked across his stumps to Higgins and suffered a similar fate.

There was no let-up after Josh Shaw came into the attack with Barnard (6) the third leg before victim of the innings.

Opener Hamish Rutherford (19) had surveyed the carnage from the other end before he was run out after a mix-up with skipper Joe Leach by Chris Dent’s direct hit.

It became 85-8 when Dillon Pennington (6) became Shannon Gabriel’s first victim since linking up with Gloucestershire when also departing lbw.

Leach (10) provided Higgins with his 50th Championship wicket in the first over after tea.

Morris (29 not out) and Finch had added 38 for the last wicket before Gabriel castled the latter.

The wickets continued to tumble when Gloucestershire began their second innings.

James Bracey (2) nicked Leach to Cox, Tom Smith (5) was lbw to Morris and then Finch sent back Chris Dent (22) – also leg before – and Gareth Roderick (0) – at second slip – for a duck.

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