Hammond's hundred bridges the generations
17 July 2018
A maiden first class hundred by Miles Hammond - having emerged in a different role to the one he occupied on his last appearance nearly three years ago - brought the corporate guests from their lunches and members to their feet on the second day of the Championship match against Sussex.
His surname will forever be linked with Gloucestershire's history, namesake Walter having dominated the club's scorecards between the wars. Here, the 21st century Hammond - 27 not out overnight - needed only one scoring shot to pass his previous best score and went on to collect twenty boundaries in a four hour stay at the crease, the last of which - a cut to point off Wiese - drew rousing applause from the stands and marquees as well as the coaching staff on the balcony.
Hammond lasted only two further deliveries before he was caught behind off Wiese for 103, but it was still a significant milestone for someone who made his Gloucestershire debut as an off spinner at 17.
The day however ended with Gloucestershire's control being undone by a late burst from Jofra Archer, who took three wickets in four balls in the penultimate over. When Craig Miles was lbw to Robinson the players walked off with Gloucestershire 303-8 and only 17 runs ahead.
Watch Miles Hammond's reaction to his century here:
CLOSE OF PLAY REACTION : Miles Hammond reflects on his maiden hundred against @SussexCCC at the Cheltenham Festival pic.twitter.com/rWKwtJc3f4
— Gloucestershire CCC (@Gloscricket) July 17, 2018
Gloucestershire's control over much of the day's play was a slow burner, especially during the first hour when Robinson and in particular Archer bowled at a sharp pace and with more control than on the first evening.
One chance went to ground - Salt spilling a straight forward edge off Robinson when Dent was on 14 - and both batsmen were tested by Sussex's use of the short ball. Only 14 runs came in the first 40 minutes, but Hammond's penchant for cover drives brought him reward later against both Wiese and Jordan on his way to a half century that contained only two singles.
As the skies darkened briefly, the overnight total was doubled and the pace of scoring quickened despite six bowling changes and five different ones being used by Sussex captain Ben Brown, Hammond driving Robinson on the up through the covers and punching Wiese past point. By lunch his stand with Dent was worth 137, and the skipper completed his own fifty with six fours shortly after the resumption although the crowd's focus was by now very much on his younger partner.
The majority of Hammond's runs came in text book fashion on the off side, but his place in Gloucestershire's T20 team began to show through as the chance of a hundred loomed large, reverse sweeping left arm spinner Briggs and then surviving a strong lbw appeal from the same bowler playing the same stroke when on 92.
His concentration held however, and untempted by the occasional leg spin of Luke Wells he waited for the chance to cut Wiese to the point boundary and register a hundred which fully justified his selection in the abscence of the injured Benny Howell. His departure two balls later, caught behind for 103, illustrated again how landmarks can also be standbreakers.
James Bracey and Gareth Roderick took tea with Gloucestershire still 58 behind, but conscious that a second new ball was imminent. In careful fashion they added 65 until nine overs after the new ball was taken when Bracey got caught on the crease by Jordan for 34, leaving Roderick and van Buuren to push Gloucestershire towards a a lead and a third batting point before the close. Both were achieved, but at a cost.
Fewer than seven overs remained when van Buuren was bowled by Wiese for 11. The lead was nine, and George Drissell - sent in as night watchman - stayed with Roderick until the last two overs when Archer wrote a substantial footnote to the day's play by bowling Drissell and Higgins in successive balls. Noema-Barnett survived the hat trick before being caught behind, and when Robinson trapped Miles lbw in the final over, Sussex had re-balanced a day which had been firmly Gloucestershire's only half an hour earlier.
