Gloucestershire seamers restrict Northants on opening day
6 August 2017
Fifties for Rob Newton, Richard Levi and Ben Duckett helped Northamptonshire enjoy the opening half of the first day before a brilliant response from the Gloucestershire bowlers restricted Northants to 343 at Wantage Road.
It was a solid day for the hosts but the top six all got set only to fall in series of poor dismissals with several catches in front of the bat. Having been 153 for 1 and 269 for 4, four overs before the second new ball, they slid to 315 for 9 before debutant Simon Kerrigan made an unbeaten 26.
Gloucestershire picked themselves up after a slow morning session. But the three seamers, David Payne, Liam Norwell and Craig Miles, made a smart comeback sharing seven wickets.
Duckett was the first of the half-centurions. Making the quick transition from Saturday’s T20 where he made a career-best unbeaten 92, he made a 46-ball fifty here. He flicked two boundaries through square leg off David Payne before imperiously driving him through extra-cover.
Another leg-side flick, this off Craig Miles, brought his side's 50 up in just the ninth over of the morning. Duckett helped himself to 10 boundaries before lifting a drive from Miles to extra-cover to fall for 52. But his bright start saw Northants rattle to lunch 153 for 1.
WICKET: Craig Miles takes the crucial wicket of Ben Duckett for 52.
Wakely the new man in. Northants now 87/1.https://t.co/lux4bDhPIW pic.twitter.com/TABdE4830W
— Gloucestershire CCC (@Gloscricket) August 6, 2017
Duckett’s opening partner Newton was badly dropped at point on 30 off Jack Taylor shelled an easy chance but went on to drive the off spin of 18-year-old debutant George Drissell through the covers for his eighth boundary to raise fifty in 80 balls. Newton went to lunch 70 not out but was caught at short-midwicket second over into the afternoon.
Alex Wakely, also badly dropped - by Iain Cockbain at mid-off on 45 - added four more before pushing at a ball from left-armer Payne that slid across him and he got a thin edge to wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick. Wakely fell just after the first hour after lunch where 16 runs came in 16 overs.
A stand of 68 between Levi and Rob Keogh put Northants into a good position after tea at 269 for 4 in fairly benign conditions against the older ball. Keogh played a perfectly-timed flick through midwicket to bring up the second batting bonus but when he lazily chipped the part-time off-spin of Taylor to short-midwicket, the innings fell away.
Levi was the third half-centurion of the day, playing smartly for his 59-ball fifty including a cover-drive that was perhaps the shot of the day. But he was well caught at slip trying to run Payne to third man, Adam Rossington pulled Liam Norwell straight to midwicket for just 5 and Rory Kleinveldt and Richard Gleeson were both caught at the wicket driving loosely outside off stump.
Gloucestershire go into the second day looking to respond positively and put runs on the board from the get go.
Phil Mustard said:
“It took us awhile to get used to the wicket we probably tried too hard in the first session but all credit to the seamers after lunch who performed really well because the game could have gone away from us.
“In any game, this type of score makes it an even game, the pitch is only going to get slower so we’ve got to bat well tomorrow to get a score."
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