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    Late rally no match for Cooke's run feast in One Day Cup

    30 April 2019

    For the second time in a week, Gloucestershire's bowlers ran into a batsman whose career best List A innings left them with too much to do in their final home game in the South Group of the Royal London Cup.

    In a repeat of James Vince's effort for Hampshire at Southampton, Glamorgan captain Chris Cooke struck 161 out of a total of 331-7, and shared a fourth wicket stand of 234 in 33 overs with Billy Root, who was run out off the final ball for 98.

    Gloucestershire's reply was in immediate trouble as Roderick, Hammond and Howell were all back in the pavilion with only 14 runs on the board, and with James Bracey also out in the powerplay Glamorgan had a grip on the game that they were never to lose.  

    Both Jack Taylor (75) and David Payne (36*) made their highest scores in 50 over cricket but Gloucestershire were still well short of their target as they were dismissed in the penultmate over for 257, giving Glamorgan victory by 74 runs.

    Watch head coach Richard Dawson's end of match interview here:

    Gloucestershire restored Chris Liddle to their eleven in place of Matt Taylor, and after Glamorgan won the toss and elected to bat they again made early progress whilst the two match balls remained new.

    Intially Lawlor and Lloyd appeared in little trouble, but the latter was run out after Ryan Higgins deflected Lawlor's drive onto the stumps on his follow through, and two wickets in two overs after a double bowling change appeared to put Gloucestershire on top.

    First Lawlor, who had earlier hit Payne into the stand in front of the Graveney apartments, got under a delivery in Graeme van Buuren's first over and lofted it straight to Payne at deep cover, and then Labuschagne was caught behind down the leg side by Roderick off Liddle. Glamorgan were 53-3 as Billy Root walked in to join Chris Cooke and Gloucestershire were again looking for the crucial extra breakthrough. As at Southampton, it took a long time.

    At first there were few fireworks, although Cooke's running between the wickets made up for the lack of boundaries in the first half of the innings. He did pull one short ball from Howell for six over mid wicket, and went to his fifty with another clipped off Payne to fine leg. It had taken 66 balls, but that was padestrian against what followed later.

    Root was a good foil for his captain, using his feet to drive where he could against both van Buuren and Smith, and with 20 overs left Glamorgan were 137-3 - not a dominant score but the danger lay in wait with both men, particularly Cooke, looking well set. He was quickly onto anything short - one six off Chris Liddle striking the club office windows - and a glut of runs either side of him reaching his century set up a frenetic finish to the Glamorgan innings.

    Cooke's hundred had come from 99 balls with nine fours and three sixes, but despite all Gloucestershire's front line seamers sharing the closing overs, he scored another 61 runs from only 28 balls with a further five sixes emphasising his clean hitting all around the wicket whatever length of delivery he was faced with.

    It would be wrong not to credit Root's support either, the left hander compiling a measured first 50 runs with four fours, and then expanding his range of generally orthodox shots to come close to a second century in successive matches, only to be run out off the final delivery for 98.  Benny Howell finished with 3 wickets, but 332 is the sort of target that exerts scoreboard pressure from the start and Glamorgan used it to their advantage immediately.

    Gareth Roderick fell in Carey's first over, caught by Labuschagne at point, and Miles Hammond hit an expansive drive straight to Root at extra cover off de Lange, who sent back Howell in the same over as Howell edged to Hemphrey at second slip. When Bracey, having played a couple of good looking strokes through the off side, was out to the same combination Gloucestershire were 26-4 and still needing more than 300 runs to win.

    Understandably risks had to be taken and as a result wickets fell steadily with no signficant partnership until David Payne joined Jack Taylor and added 82 for the 9th wicket. Taylor had been the supporting partner to both van Buuren (41) and Higgins (38) but along with Payne gained some late credit with three sixes, all off Dan Douthwaite, in an innings of 75 made from 70 balls.

    Payne's unbeaten 36 also bettered his 26 not out against Hampshire but as on that day, Gloucestershire lost this one because of one big partnership and a powerful individual innings by the opposing captain.
     

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