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Gloucestershire on top heading into day three

22 July 2019

Gloucestershire head into the third day of the Specsavers County Championship match against Worcestershire in a positive position.

Ross Whiteley and Brett D’Oliveira came to Worcestershire’s rescue on the second day of the Specsavers County Championship match with Gloucestershire at Cheltenham.

Having bowled out the hosts for 354 in their first innings, from an overnight 339 for seven, the visitors plummeted to 68 for five, an all too familiar tale in recent games.

But D’Olivera was then dropped on three, a routine chance to Miles Hammond waist-high at second slip off Ryan Higgins with the total on 86, and it proved an expensive mistake.

Worcestershire’s sixth-wicket pair went on to share a stand of 146 in 43 overs, Whiteley leading the way with a hugely responsible 88, while D’Oliveira grew in confidence to contribute an unbeaten 66 to a total of 232 for six at the close.

The day began with Gloucestershire adding only 15 to their overnight score as Joe Leach claimed their last three wickets for figures of six for 79.

Worcestershire’s skipper bowled David Payne and when Ethan Bamber fell to a fine diving catch by wicketkeeper Ben Cox, it gave Leach his 300th first class victim.

Tom Smith was last man out for 83, just one short of his career-best score made in the previous Championship match against Leicestershire. He fell to a boundary catch, which saw D’Olivera flip the ball up for Ed Barnard to pouch just before stepping on the rope.

Worcestershire’s reply had reached 24 when Riki Wessells, on 12, edged Bamber to Benny Howell at first slip. With only a run had added, Callum Ferguson was taken at second slip by Hammond off Payne.

It was 40 for two at lunch. The afternoon session began with Barnard falling to a diving catch down the leg side by James Bracey, keeping wicket in place of Gareth Roderick who is nursing a slight knee problem, off Ryan Higgins.

Higgins then took his Championship wicket tally this season to 30 by having Daryl Mitchell caught by Bracey, standing up to the stumps, for 18 to leave Worcestershire 44 for four.

A shortage of top order runs has been a major reason for the county finding themselves at the wrong end of the Second Division table. Soon they were 68 for five as Howell took another catch at first slip, this time off Payne, to send back Ben Cox for 13.

All the momentum was with Gloucestershire. But after Hammond’s drop Whiteley and D’Oliveira set about turning the tide.

Whiteley reined himself in for the good of his team and took 43 balls to strike his first boundary. But gradually his attacking instincts took over and he lofted sixes off Bamber and Matt Taylor on the way to a 103-ball half-century.

D’Oliveira also began to find the boundary and there were 7 fours in his fifty, compiled from 92 deliveries. With the sun shining, the penetration went out of the previously tight Gloucestershire attack and batting looked comfortable for the first time in the day.

From 135 for five at tea, Whiteley and D’Oliveira played with increasing freedom, treating another large Festival crowd to some fine stroke-play until Matt Taylor found the edge of Whiteley’s bat and, although Bracey spilled the chance in front of his face, the ball looped to Howell beside him, who took his third catch.

Seven overs remained in the day. The fourth of them saw Taylor bowl five balls before limping off with an injury and one delivery later the second new ball was taken. 

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