Northants set Gloucestershire 442 to win on Fourth Day
14 September 2016
Richard Levi’s 95 helped put Northamptonshire in a good position on the final day as they set Gloucestershire 442 to win at Wantage Road. The hosts were bowled out for 376 in their second-innings before Gloucestershire closed day three 35 for 2.
Gloucestershire were sent in for 16 overs to close and they lost Gareth Roderick for 19, edging a good length delivery from Ben Sanderson that just held it’s line, and Will Tavare, trying to play a back-foot push and being caught at second slip for a duck.
At 155 for 4 shortly after lunch, Gloucestershire sensed a way back into the game but Levi shared a stand of 71 with Adam Rossington for the fifth wicket and 76 with Steven Crook for the sixth.
Rossinton missed a sweep at Jack Taylor and was lbw for 34 before Levi, five short of a century, pushed into the off side and called for a single that Crook disagreed with as Will Tavare dived to his left to make a sharp save. Levi was three-quarters of the way down the wicket and gave up any chance to recover his ground. Tavare had time for a cup of tea before returning a throw to Phil Mustard.
Earlier in the day, Northants resumed 44 for 0 and Duckett made his way to 70 in the final innings of a wondrous 2016 season.
Having struck five fours to reach 31 not out by the close on day two, he began the third day in typically aggressive touch. An extra-cover drive against Liam Norwell was the stroke of the morning as he passed fifty in 59 balls with eight fours.
But when a fifth hundred of the season looked possible, Matt Taylor found a ball to jump and take the splice of the bat, providing a catch to George Hankins at point.
Rob Newton was also out on the third morning, edging Matt Taylor to slip after an opening stand of 116 with Duckett and in the over before lunch Alex Wakely edged David Payne to second slip to keep Gloucestershire in the game. Levi’s afternoon ensured that the home side were in a good position on the final day.
Richard Dawson said:
“We need to pull something out of the bag tomorrow. It’ll be down the middle order and tail again. We did well in patches and that sums up our last few weeks and that's the frustration for us. Probably said the same thing last year, we have played some very good cricket but it’s just putting it all together not just a day here or there."
