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Hammond Leads the way on First Day of the Festival

5 July 2021

Miles Hammond’s 75 led Gloucestershire’s progress on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival but the home side were bowled out for 248 against Middlesex as the LV= Insurance Championship returned.

Hammond struck nine fours and two sixes in passing fifty for the third game running and helped his side into a strong position at 153 for two.

Gloucestershire were without captain Chris Dent, with a broken finger, and Ryan Higgins, whose partner gave birth on Monday morning. There would have been great worry among supporters with their side inserted and coming off the back of 11 T20s. But mid-afternoon they were very well placed.

Hammond filled in for James Bracey up the order in the previous two Championship matches with success and here again played well. There was still a little T20 in his strokes. A ball of just back of a length was flat-batted through mid-off and a pull taken over midwicket from well outside off among his 137-ball fifty. He nicked a decent delivery from Ethan Bamber to first slip.

When Jack Taylor shouldered arms to Mitchell and was lbw for five, Gloucestershire were 187 for six but Ollie Price, making his county debut, made a composed 31 with five fours to ensure a batting point before he squared up and bowled by Bamber with the second new ball.

Price was playing alongside his older brother Tom with another pair of siblings - Jack and Matt Taylor also in the XI.

Ollie Price said after making his debut:

"It was a really cool day and a nice moment for me. I was told yesterday that I was playing so I had a little bit of time to get my head around things. It was an annoying time to get out but it was great to get on the board and score a few runs."

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