Hamish's hundred moves day one momentum
24 April 2016
An unbeaten sixth wicket stand of 179 in 42 overs between Hamish Marshall and Kieran Noema-Barnett wrenched the initiative away from Worcestershire on the first day of this Championship match at the Brightside Ground.
The visitors appeared well placed in mid-afternoon with Gloucestershire at 157-5, but after stabilising the innings before tea, Marshall and Noema Barnett dominated a tiring attack in the final session, adding 158 in 32 overs to leave Gloucestershire 336-5 at stumps, with Marshall unbeaten on 123, and Noema-Barnett on 84, his highest Gloucestershire score.
Listen to centurion Hamish Marshall's thoughts on the day here...
Gloucestershire made one change to the side that drew with Derbyshire, Benny Howell resting his troublesome back and being replaced by George Hankins, the young batsman making his Championship debut.
Worcestershire captain Daryl Mitchell opted to bowl without having to toss a coin, and the morning session - indeed you could argue the first half of the day - was noticeable for the discipline of the Worcestershire attack. There was very little loose bowling and their out cricket was of a higher standard than that displayed by Derbyshire last week.
Matt Henry and Joe Leach made the first 50 minutes of play a tense and competitive affair as both sides looked to gain an early advantage. Bancroft in particular was looking for singles if they were on offer, and after Chris Dent reached a personal career landmark of 5,000 first class runs with a clip through mid wicket, Bancroft - who had played one lovely cover drive off Henry - fell to an excellent piece of fielding from Worcestershire's overseas player for the first part of the summer.
Bancroft played a ball from Leach wide of Henry at mid on and set off for the single, only for the Kiwi to move to his right and produce an accurate throw, hitting the one stump he could see at the bowlers end.
The openers had put on 37, but Worcestershire were to claim two further scalps before lunch as Ed Barnard and Jack Shantry backed up the efforts of Worcestershire's new ball pair.
Ian Cockbain (5) never looked settled and was trapped lbw by Barnard for 5, and then skipper Gareth Roderick, having got off the mark with a single, pushed at a ball from Shantry as he came round the wicket, and Whiteley took a low catch at third slip.
At the other end Chris Dent's confidence after his century against Derbyshire allowed him to play with more comfort, choosing not to go hard at the ball and finding mid wicket a productive area for runs.
By lunch he had made 41, striking five of the six boundaries in the session but surviving a difficult low chance to Kohler-Cadmore off Henry in the penultimate over before the interval, when Gloucestershire were 89-3.
Marshall (13 not out) had an important support role to play with George Hankins the last specialist batsman at number six in the order, and Gloucestershire's two most prolific batsmen so far this season proceeded carefully after the resumption, Dent eventually reaching his fifty from 117 balls.
Their stand had reached 71 when Dent edged Barnard to Kohler-Cadmore at first slip to give Worcestershire a fourth breakthrough. Dent had made 59, and his departure brought in teenager George Hankins for his Championship debut. Unusually his first scoring shot was a five, as an attempted run-out at the bowlers end went for four overthrows, but the former Millfield pupil struck two pleasing boundaries in reaching 18 before opening bowler Matt Henry chalked up his first wicket, Whiteley again taking the catch in the slips.
Throughout the session Hamish Marshall was the picture of responsibility. On a day when little of a driveable length was offered, he revelled in anything he could cut or work off his legs, collecting three boundaries in quick succession off Barnard and Shantry.
By tea, and in a session where Gloucestershire had exactly doubled their lunch score to 178-5, Marshall was 46 not out. Noema-Barnett was with him on 11, but there was little sign that the balance of the game would shift so significantly Gloucestershire's way.
A clip to the square leg boundary off Barnard brought up Marshall's half century (111 balls with five fours) although it was at the other end that Noema-Barnett started to plunder the runs. As the overs started counting down towards the second new ball, Noema-Barnett attacked spinner Moeen Ali, picking up three boundaries and a six in quick succession.
A lofted drive over mid on brought up a half century that contained nine fours and a six from only 80 deliveries, and by the time the new ball was taken, Gloucestershire were 255-5 with both men well set.
The final hour saw Gloucestershire press home their advantage, Marshall completing his hundred in almost four hours with 11 fours, and producing a typical cut off Shantry to bring up the third batting point. Noema-Barnett was now giving his shots a full swing of the bat, and two cover drives off Barnard just before the close were as good as anything that had gone before.
Gloucestershire will resume on day two needing 64 in 14 overs for maximum batting points, and with Noema-Barnett only 16 runs short of his first Gloucestershire hundred. After dodging the Sunday showers, it would be a shame if the weather delayed matters on Monday morning.
