Rain disrupts day 2 against Durham MCCU
29 March 2017
Only 43 overs play was possible on the second day of the match against Durham MCCU at the Brightside Ground, with rain and bad light preventing any further action from the point the players went off the field 40 minutes after lunch.
The morning session looked likely to be about Gloucestershire's middle order getting some time at the crease, which was exactly how it unfolded until skipper Gareth Roderick declared the first innings on 405-7, but the bowlers only had 17 overs either side of lunch before the weather intervened. The forecast for the final day is better, so they will hope for an extended opportunity then.
Gloucestershire resumed promptly at 292-3, although it was no surprise that Phil Mustard accompanied George Hankins to the wicket at the start of play, Will Tavare having retired out on his overnight score.
Six overs elapsed under overcast skies before Durham MCCU took the second new ball, by which time Mustard had already worked McGrath to the boundary twice on the leg side and Hankins had completed his half century from 66 balls with seven fours and a six.
He too was to retire out when he'd made 59, while Mustard's cameo was ended by McGrath, who picked up a fourth wicket when the Gloucestershire 'keeper chased a ball he might have left on another day and edged it Jahanfar for 29.
McGrath would have claimed a five wicket haul had Singh not spilled a chance to dismiss Payne, but in variable light he and Jack Taylor added 72 in 14 overs without undue fuss until Singh bowled Payne for 35, at which point Gareth Roderick decided there was nothing to be gained by carrying on.
The mini session until lunch saw Payne and Norwell share the new ball, Payne dismissing both openers in a four over stint. Left hander Clark edged a catch to 'keeper Mustard for a duck and Fraine was trapped lbw for 6.
At the resumption, debutant Ollie Currill was given his first spell from the Pavilion End, although in light which had lifted a little from earlier in the day the 20 year old wasn't allowed to settle by the third wicket pair of Pollock and Marshall. Pollock executed three straight drives for four in one over, and after Marshall pulled Currill to fine leg for six, he too picked up three boundaries in quick succession.
When rain forced the players off Durham MCCU had reached 78-2, with Pollock and Marshall having added 63 in 10 overs. An early tea was taken, but after four inspections, the last of them at 5.45, umpires Michael Burns and Tom Lungley called play off for the day.
