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    REPORT: Brilliant Bracey hits maiden century on Day three

    21 September 2017

    James Bracey hit his maiden century for Gloucestershire on Day three in the Specsavers County Championship in Cardiff.

    The day ended with Glamorgan ahead by 102 runs with 96 overs left in the game. Glamorgan are unlikely to leave a generous target, so an exciting final day of the season at Cardiff is also unlikely, unless the two captains can contrive a result.

    Gloucestershire were focused on achieving a fifth batting point, when a declaration may have been another option, but after needing 16 off five overs, and four from the last, they failed by one run and promptly declared.

    The highlight of the day was a record breaking partnership by Benny Howell and 20 year old James Bracey- with both batsmen achieving career best scores.

    After 24 overs were lost to rain at the start of the day, Benny Howell and James Bracey continued to pile on the runs on a desperately slow pitch that continued to frustrate the Glamorgan attack.

    Howell quickly scored the four runs he needed to score the second century of his career and also pass the 102 he scored against Leicestershire two years ago.

    Bracey was initially more watchful in his approach, but after passing fifty, he began to accelerate and after facing 142 balls and hitting 14 fours and two sixes, reached the first century in only his fifth first class game, and third in the county championship.

    The second wicket pair then passed the previous highest stand for the second wicket against Glamorgan, set by Alf Dipper and Harry Smith at the St Helen’s ground in Swansea in 1921, but shortly afterwards, after a partnership of 240, Howell was LBW to Michael Hogan.

    Two balls later, Hogan, armed with the new ball, struck again, when George Hankins had his off stump knocked back.

    Phil Mustard then joined Bracey, playing many of his trademark strokes through the offside, and they had put on 59 before Mustard, attempting to force Marchant De Lange off the back foot, edged a catch to second slip.

    Any thoughts that Gloucestershire might have declared when Mustard departed and had gathered four batting points, were dispelled when Jack Taylor and Kieran Noema-Barnett came in, but neither made any major impact, as Taylor nicked off to slip, and Noema-Barnett had his off bail trimmed.

    Bracey’s vigil, which had lasted six and quarter hours, eventually ended when he holed out at long on, as Gloucestershire made a pig’s ear to trying to get the final batting point.

    Glamorgan had 13 overs to face at the end of the day, and they lost Connor Brown to David Payne, before closing on 63 for 1.

    Reaction

    Gloucestershire’s 20yr old wicketkeeper James Bracey, who scored a career best 156 said ”It was great to get the first hundred, and Benny Howell was a great help. It was tough to start but it was one of those pitches that when you got in it became easier.”

    Bracey added said “a lot can happen on the final day, but unless they leave us a target, then we will have to try to bowl them out.”

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