Miles holds leaders in Lancashire in check
7 June 2015
Day 1 :
Five wickets for Craig Miles and a thumb injury finger for Gareth Roderick were the key points from a hard fought first day against Division 2 leaders Lancashire at the Bristol County Ground.
Roderick didn't appear after lunch, having taken a ball from Benny Howell awkwardly when standing up to the stumps during the morning session, whilst Miles was rewarded for his persistence throughout the day from the Ashley Down Road end.
Lancashire were eventually dismissed for 275, with Gloucestershire 15 for 2 in reply at the close.
Listen to Craig Miles' thoughts on the day here :
There were two changes to the team which drew the last Championship match at Derby last Thursday, Hamish Marshall (calf injury) and David Payne being replaced by Ian Cockbain and Matt Taylor.
Two wickets in the last 20 minutes before lunch changed the perception of the first session after Geraint Jones -for the first time at the Bristol County Ground in the Championship this season - won the toss, and decided Lancashire should bat first.
The Division 2 leaders were initially very patient, with only one boundary off the bat in the first hour. Paul Horton and Karl Brown were both prepared to leave alone anything they didn't need to play at, and Horton had made only four when Miles induced an edge to gully where Benny Howell took a well judged catch.
Howell, when introduced, was the one bowler to offer the batsmen any freedom, as Liam Norwell also kept the brake on the Lancashire scoring as well as beating Petersen twice in the same over.
Slowly, and with boundaries still at a premium, Brown and Petersen added 45 when Matt Taylor's return for a second burst before lunch was rewarded in his first over, trapping Petersen lbw for 20. Umpire Ben Debenham took some time to raise his finger, and the South African looked ruefully at the bottom of his bat as he walked off.
The accurate Miles then backed that up with an excellent yorker to account for the in-form Ashwell Prince for a single, removing a man who already has three Championship hundreds to his name this summer.
Despite sunny conditions overhead, the bounce had been variable with several deliveries being edged but not carrying towards the slips. The surprise was in the change of gear by Lancashire after lunch.
From 65-3 and with only a smattering of boundaries, suddenly there was a glut as Brown and Croft went on the attack. Brown reached his half century off 99 balls with nine fours, five of them in rapid succession after the resumption.
Miles, though, checked the acceleration in the scoring, bowling Brown with a full pitched delivery for 57. It was the opener's first fifty in the Championship for two seasons. Croft remained a threat however, scoring productively square of the wicket. With Norwell and Howell unable to fashion a breakthrough, skipper Jones - who had kept wicket since lunch - again turned to his opening pair of Miles and Matt Taylor.
The latter trapped Alex Davies lbw with his first ball for 11, before Faulkner drove loosely at Miles and was caught behind by Geraint Jones for 4. Croft deservedly completed his half century off 68 balls with nine fours, and it was with some relief that Miles completed his second five wicket haul of the season by removing the Lancashire skipper, who was lbw for 65 in his last over before tea. Four wickets had gone in the session, but Lancashire had scored 125 runs and redressed the balance of the day.
They did so still further after tea, Clark and Bailey looking relatively untroubled in adding 49 together before Clark nibbled at one from Benny Howell and was caught behind for 35. Three balls later Jarvis drove Howell to Ian Cockbain at cover without scoring.
Some carefree hitting by veteran Glen Chapple - including the only six of the day - then took Lancashire well beyond a second batting point, Matt Taylor shattering Bailey's stumps to end the innings at 275 less than two overs after the second new ball was taken. Miles finished with 5 for 61.
It left Will Tavare and Chris Dent with 10 overs to negotiate before stumps, but both succumbed, Dent edging Jarvis to wicketkeeper Davies for 2, and Tavare being adjudged lbw to Bailey for 4. It was left to man of the day Miles, as night watchman, to accompany Michael Klinger to the close.
Skipper Geraint Jones confirmed afterwards that Roderick would seek further advice on his thumb injury in the morning.
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