Northants hit back after Norwell's six wicket haul
8 July 2015
On the day Geraint Jones announced his retirement at the end of the season, Liam Norwell took the honours with the ball as 14 wickets fell in the first 3 sessions of the Division 2 clash with Northants at the Cheltenham Festival.
The visitors ended it holding the initiative, despite Norwell taking 6-41 as the visitors were dismissed for 246. At stumps Gloucestershire had slipped to 82-4 in reply, still 164 behind.
Hear Liam Norwell's thoughts on the day here :
Having been handed the captaincy in the Championship for the rest of the season, Ian Cockbain's first decision was to insert Northants having won the toss, and it paid immediate dividends as Craig Miles had Stephen Peters caught behind by a fit-again Gareth Roderick to the second ball of the day.
Any thoughts of an explosive morning were thwarted however by left hander Ben Duckett and skipper Alex Wakeley who added 90 together without undue alarm, although Wakely survived a difficult chance to Jack Taylor at mid wicket when he had made only nine.
It was then that Norwell returned to the attack to produce an inspired spell either of lunch. Ten minutes before the interval Duckett - who had struck ten fours in his half century - played a poor shot and was caught at long leg by Benny Howell, and before Rob Keogh had got settled he nicked a delivery in Norwell's next over to Dent at second slip.
From 92-3 at lunch, Northants then crumbled to 122-6, with Norwell taking three more wickets in a ten over stint which yielded figures of 5-29. The dangerous Levi was caught behind by Roderick, Rossington gave Klinger a regulation slip catch and Cobb was clean bowled. Wakely watched the carnage at the other end aware a lot hinged on him.
In an understated and functional way, the Northants captain took 129 balls to reach his fifty with eight fours, and he then found an ally in Steven Crook, the pair adding a valuable 69 for the 7th wicket. It took a fine catch to end it, Benny Howell parrying the ball on the deep square leg boundary when Crook swept Jack Taylor, and claiming the catch just inside the rope.
By this stage Wakely was edging towards a century, and having only scored two in first class cricket, he wasn't in a hurry. Eventually, from the 217th delivery, he struck his 16th boundary to bring up three figures - and was promptly caught behind in the last over before tea off James Fuller. Despite his efforts, Northants were 215-8 and even some lusty hitting by White could not secure a second batting point.
The slow left arm spinner was caught at short cover by Marshall off Howell, and it was fitting that Norwell should return to remove Kleinveldt, who top edged a catch to Miles at long leg. Norwell asked the umpires for the match ball as he was applauded off having taken 6-41.
It left Gloucestershire 24 overs to bat until the close but they had hardly started when Chris Dent was caught at third slip by Kleinveldt off Stone for a duck.
The big South African was to produce a fine spell with the ball too, removing Will Tavare lbw - although Tavare clearly thought there was an inside edge - and then taking the vital wicket of Michael Klinger, who was caught behind having made only ten.
If Roderick and Marshall had seen Gloucestershire to the close the damage might have been manageable but Roderick, having made 23, was lbw to Crook leaving new captain Cockbain with plenty to ponder overnight.
