Miles' hat trick highlights Festival win over Essex
16 July 2016
Gloucestershire's quick bowlers propelled the side firmly into the Division 2 promotion picture with a 61 run victory over table toppers Essex at the Brewin Dolphin Cheltenham Festival.
Essex began the day on 16-1 in pursuit of 213 to win but they were dismissed 35 minutes after lunch for 151. Craig Miles, Liam Norwell and David Payne shared the wickets, Miles completing a hat trick across two innings when he bowled Ravi Bopara with his first ball.
The win leaves Gloucestershire 11 points behind Essex in the table with a game in hand.
Listen to the thoughts of skipper Gareth Roderick here :
Craig Miles also spoke to the official club website after the match :
Nearly 900 runs had been scored across the first three days of this match, but repeatedly in close of play interviews the bowlers had said the pitch offered encouragement if they bowled the right length.
Gloucestershire knew there was little margin for error with a modest total to defend, and it's to the credit of Norwell, Miles and Payne that together they collectively produced probably their best day's cricket of the summer.
They would have hoped to remove night watchman Porter early on, and when he edged Norwell's first delivery of the day, Roderick spilled the chance only to collect it between his knees.
Little then happened for the home crowd to cheer for half an hour, Westley and Browne collecting half a dozen boundaries in between some tentative pushing and prodding outside off stump, but the spectators knew it might only take one wicket to shift the momentum.
Norwell it was who opened the door, Westley edging to Dent at second slip, only for the ball to slip though his hands and be taken by Noema-Barnett. Five balls later Payne, who had shared the opening attack, trapped Browne lbw and Essex had two new batsmen in against a ball which was starting to swing.
At 52-4, Lawrence and Bopara tried a different approach with a greater emphasis on defence, but Miles produced the moment of the morning when his first delivery sent Bopara's off stump cartwheeling towards the chapel. Having taken two wickets with his final two deliveries in the Essex first innings, it completed the first hat trick of his career.
Still Essex appeared a threat as ten Doeschate joined Lawrence, especially as there was no issue over time. The lull,however, didn't last long once Roderick plugged the leg side field and encouraged Lawrence to drive through a big gap between point and mid off. He managed it once, but then mistimed his attempt to repeat the shot and gave Klinger a comfortable catch.
It seemed unlikely Essex would go into their shells at this stage, so either way the match was storming headlong towards its conclusion, and two further wickets fell before lunch. Ten Doeschate took three boundaries off an over from Miles before edging to Roderick, and then Foster - having pulled Norwell for six - also fell to a catch at the wicket.
The morning session had seen Essex score 107 runs but critically seven wickets had gone and Gloucestershire were on the verge of a memorable Cheltenham win.
Payne was recalled to the attack after lunch and removed Napier with the aid of Roderick's fourth catch, which left Quinn and Zaidi between Gloucestershire and 21 Championship points. The tall Kiwi hung around for a while but Zaidi knew it was a lost cause, and it was appropriate that Norwell - having begun the day with a wicket - finished it by re-arranging Zaidi's stumps via an inside edge.
Only Zaidi (37) passed 30 in the Essex second innings, and they had lost for only the second time in the Championship this season. It was Gloucestershire's third win, and one which should give real belief that a tilt at the one promotion place is still very much on.
