Gloucestershire relegated despite a Tom Price-inspired three-wicket win over Warwickshire
22 September 2022
Tom Price produced an inspired career-best performance to ease Gloucestershire to a three-wicket triumph over fellow LV=County Championship First Division strugglers Warwickshire at Bristol's Seat Unique Stadium.
Gloucestershire's young Academy product claimed a remarkable haul of 8-23 and match figures of 10-73 to put the skids under Warwickshire, who were shot out for 128 inside 39 overs in their second innings as this entertaining contest rushed to a premature conclusion on the third day.
Set a modest 148 to win, the home side recovered from 30-4 to reach their target in 48.2 overs thanks to experienced opener Chris Dent and skipper Graeme van Buuren, who scored 64 and 49 respectively and staged a match-winning stand of 97.
Gloucestershire banked 21 points and, while their first victory in 13 attempts in red-ball cricket this summer has come too late to save them from relegation, it at least represents a silver lining. As for Warwickshire (5 points), they remain second from bottom of the table and, with one game to play, look like joining Gloucestershire in the Second Division next year.
Crowned champions just 12 months ago, the Bears have suffered a dramatic fall from grace. Buoyed by Dom Sibley's outstanding unbeaten hundred in the first innings, they appeared well-set to forge their second win of the season and keep alive their survival hopes, only to suffer a calamitous collapse in the face of relentless accuracy from Price.
This startling defeat will benefit fellow strugglers Kent and Somerset, whose fate will reside in their own hands when they meet in the final round of games at Canterbury next week. So parlous is the position Warwickshire find themselves in, that even victory in their last outing against Hampshire at Edgbaston is unlikely to save them.
Warwickshire resumed their second innings on 58-5, a lead of 77, their brief to bat beyond lunch and put pressure back onto Gloucestershire. But Tom Price clearly had other ideas. Still on a roll after taking four quick wickets the previous evening, the 22-year-old seamer picked up where he left off to plunge the visitors further into crisis.
Price first accounted for Jacob Bethell, who directed a thickish edge to Chris Dent at third man and departed without adding to his overnight tally of three. He struck again in his next over, ensuring there would be no repeat of Danny Briggs' first innings heroics for Warwickshire. Having contributed a valuable half century on the first day, Briggs played down the wrong line to a ball that came back into him and looked back in horror as his middle stump went cartwheeling.
While Alex Davies remained at large, the Bears had hope, and the former Lancashire wicketkeeper served up continued defiance to post a gritty 50. Together with Henry Brookes, he staged a partnership of 43 for the eighth wicket to frustrate Gloucestershire's victory charge.
Davies had raised 60 from 90 balls and accrued 8 fours when his resistance finally came to an end, slow left armer Zafar Gohar pinning the 28-year-old in his crease to afford the home side relief. And having made a crucial breakthrough at one end, Gloucestershire made good their advantage, Price returning at the Ashley Down Road end to have Brookes caught at the wicket for 32.
His tail up, Price finished the job in style, producing late in-swing to dismiss Ryan Sidebottom lbw and complete a truly memorable performance with the ball.
Warwickshire had no option but to set attacking fields and push hard for early wickets. Oliver Hannon-Dalby represented their best chance of bringing pressure to bear and he produced a lifting delivery to have Ben Charlesworth caught at head height by Sam Hain at second slip shortly after lunch. Ollie Price fell in near identical fashion, held at first slip, soon afterwards as Hannon-Dalby gave the Bears renewed hope.
Exposed to trial by spin on a turning pitch, Miles Hammond and James Bracey both came up short, dismissed for ducks by Jayant Yadav and Briggs respectively as Gloucestershire slumped to 30-4.
Blocking their way to victory was clearly not an option, and new batsman van Buuren sought a change of tempo, taking boundaries off both spinners to set the scoreboard in motion once more. Dent responded positively to his captain's example and, by the time the partnership had realised 50, Warwickshire had withdrawn many of their close fielders and the danger had receded.
Dent went to a 120-ball 50 via his seventh four, while the more progressive van Buuren raised 49 from 63 balls before playing across the line to Yadav and falling lbw. Yadav then removed Jack Taylor and Dent in quick succession to finish with 4-47, but Gloucestershire's Zafar Gohar and Tom Price held their nerve to see the job through.
