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    Relentless Roderick seals One Day Cup win

    23 April 2019

    Wicket keeper Gareth Roderick continued a strong sequence of scores so far this season with his first List A hundred for four years as Gloucestershire responded to Sunday's defeat by Middlesex with a six wicket victory over Kent at the Bristol County Ground.

    Kent were put into bat by Chris Dent after he won the toss, and threatened a big total when Zak Crawley (85) and skipper Joe Denly (56) were scoring briskly together after the early loss of Sean Dickson, but losing four wickets for 46 in ten overs left wicket keeper Adam Rouse to drive their total to 282-8 with an unbeaten 45.

    In reply, Gloucestershire matched Kent's run rate through the first 15 overs as skipper Chris Dent (41) and George Hankins (33) set a sound base before both were out within three overs of each other. It was then that the in-form Roderick and James Bracey (67) added 138 for the third wicket in 18 overs to methodically steer Gloucestershire into a winning position, Roderick completing his century from 80 balls just before the target was reached with 3.1 overs to spare.

    Watch Gareth Roderick's post match interview here:

    Gloucestershire made two changes to the side beaten by Middlesex at Lord's with Graeme van Buuren and David Payne coming in for Dan Worrall and Matt Taylor. Kent had their captain Joe Denly available for the first time after his return from the IPL and he immediately looked in good touch as he and Zak Crawley joined forces in the second over when Ryan Higgins trapped Sean Dickson lbw with only seven runs on the board.

    The match was played with a short boundary on the Kennington Avenue side of the ground, influencing Chris Dent's use of his two left arm spinners from the Pavilion End. Graeme van Buuren was on in the 12th over as Denly and the 6'5 Crawley both played some well timed strokes through the off side against Higgins and Chris Liddle.

    Denly brought up his own fifty in the 22nd over with a six and six fours from 64 balls as Kent's total clicked through three figures, but David Payne's return saw the dangerous Kent skipper depart for 56 to a catch at the wicket by Gareth Roderick. It was the first of two important acts in the field by the Gloucestershire 'keeper, who also threw  down the stumps at the strikers' end to run out Heino Kuhn for 24. 

    Kuhn's dismissal provoked a wobble in the Kent innings, even though Gloucestershire initially had a right hand/left hand combination to contend with. Benny Howell removed Blake with a well judged catch by the retreating van Buuren at mid off before Crawley, who had carefully built an innings of 85 off 109 balls, was bowled playing back to Tom Smith.

    When Robinson gave Howell a gentle return catch Kent were 198-6 with the last ten overs just underway, so it took some significant acceleration to get them to 282-8, largely thanks to former Gloucestershire wicket keeper Adam Rouse. The 26 year old was particularly severe on Chris Liddle as he made 45 not out from only 28 balls, clearing the boundary on four occasions to give Kent a total that kept the match in the balance.

    As run chases go, however, this was one that Gloucestershire seemed to have in hand from the outset, openers George Hankins and captain Chris Dent keeping up with Kent's opening powerplay against Milnes and Podmore. Their approach was even paced, only five boundaries having been chalked up in a stand of 72 when Hankins (33) charged at spinner Qayyum and was stumped.

    With Joe Denly unable to field, Kent had to find other bowlers to make up the overs so Dent's fury at pulling a delivery from Alex Blake to Robinson at deep square leg was understandable. He had made 41, but it left Roderick and James Bracey to pick up the baton after both openers had got out when set, a task they achieved with a similar approach.

    By half distance Gloucestershire were marginally ahead on the clock and the confidence of runs made in recent innings was evident, Roderick driving Podmore powerfully to mid off and Bracey hooking Milnes to mid wicket. Their fifties came up in successive overs, Bracey's from only 41 balls and Roderick's from 45, and just eight boundaries in their century partnership showed how careful shot placement kept the scoreboard ticking.

    Fleetingly there were thoughts that both players might get close to individual hundreds, but Bracey, having reverse swept Crawley for four, was caught down the leg side off Claydon for 67 with 55 runs still needed. 

    Benny Howell (11) hit Podmore straight to Kuhn at mid off and it was left to Jack Taylor to accompany Roderick to his first List A hundred since the game at Leicester in 2015. He went into the nineties with a straight drive off Milnes and brought up his hundred from only 80 balls with eight fours and two sixes, both in the same over from Mitchell Claydon.

    Victory was sealed with more than three overs in hand, and it sets up an important match with South Group leaders Hampshire at Southampton on Friday.

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