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REPORT: Payne and Norwell rampant with new ball

7 August 2017

Liam Norwell and David Payne produced an inspired new ball spell as Gloucestershire roared back into the game at Wantage Road. Northamptonshire closed the second day 50 for 5 in their second innings, leading by only 128.

Richard Gleeson took his maiden first-class five-wicket haul to help bowl Gloucestershire out for 265 and give Northants a lead of 78 with 16 overs remaining in the day. But within six overs, Northants were 19 for 5 and ambitions for a victory to raise their promotion hopes were left in tatters.

First Payne slid a ball across Rob Newton to find an edge that was splendidly held by George Hankins diving to his right from third slip. Ben Duckett followed, edging Norwell from round the wicket to second slip. Payne straightened a full delivery to knock out Max Holden’s off stump before Norwell brought one back to pin Rob Keogh lbw. Finally, Norwell produced the best delivery of the lot - one that shaped away to trim the off bail of Richard Levi.

Alex Wakely, on 23, and Adam Rossington managed to battle out the remaining 10 overs.

It was a dramatic conclusion to a day where Northants initially got themselves ahead in the game through Gleeson. He struck twice in his first four overs of the morning with two fine deliveries that held their line to take edges of both Gareth Roderick - caught at the wicket for a fourth-ball duck - and Will Tavare - held at second slip for 13.

Shortly before tea, when Gloucestershire recovered from 165 for 5 to 219 for 5 through Kieran Noema-Barnett and Jack Taylor, who counterattacked with a partnership of 54 in 11.2 overs, Gleeson returned from the Wantage Road End with two wickets in two balls.

A rising delivery took the shoulder of Taylor’s bat and looped to slip, Levi took an easy catch and Taylor walked off for 28. Next ball, a spearing yorker that Gleeson has used so effectively in T20 cricket ripped into the off stump of Craig Miles. The hat-trick ball - in his next over - struck the body of Noema-Barnett. Another yorker to debutant George Drissell ended the innings and handed Northants useful lead.

The hosts chipped away well throughout the day as three half-century stands developed but nothing to take a significant chunk out of Northants’ first innings 343.

George Hankins shared a stand of 66 with his captain Phil Mustard before Mustard ran past a flighted delivery from left-arm spinner Simon Kerrigan, on-loan from Lancashire, and lost his off stump for 26 just before lunch.

Hankins followed his century in this fixture last season with 73 before becoming the first of three wickets for the off-spin of Keogh. Hankins, having passed fifty in 86 balls with his fifth four - steered to third man off Gleeson - top-edged a sweep and was caught by Kerrigan at backward square-leg.

Hankins shared a stand of 69 for the fourth wicket with Iain Cockbain, who was also going steadily on 27, but took a step down the wicket at Keogh to one that turned and was caught bat-pad at short-leg by Holden.

The second double strike of the innings - by Gleeson before tea - saw Gloucestershire slip to 219 for 7 and in danger of leaking a big lead but Noema-Barnett counterattacked to good effect. He struck Simon Kerrigan down the ground for two sixes, slog-swept him for four more, took another boundary over extra-cover and also drove Keogh straight for four in a 65-ball fifty.

David Payne:

“It was crazy. The captain just asked us to bowl hard and see what could happen. We were hoping for two maybe three.

“Personally I was totally out of rhythm yesterday - sometimes that is the case - so it was nice to come back both yesterday and now today.

“Once you get past the new ball it gets easier so we don’t know what a good score could be for the fourth innings."

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