Report : Clarke foils push for victory after Dent's hundred
12 July 2017
Chris Dent's second Championship century of the season and a burst of early wickets for David Payne and Liam Norwell wasn't enough for Gloucestershire to seal victory over Worcestershire on the final day of their Championship match at the College Ground.
Dent made 135 not out, and added 189 for the third wicket with Roderick (81), as Worcestershire were set a teasing target of 370 to win in 51 overs.
Two wickets in the first three overs, both to Payne, and another soon after for Norwell had Worcestershire at 5-3, and when he bowled Rhodes in the second over after tea the scoreboard read 47-4. From there, however, an unbeaten 93 from the in-form Joe Clarke saw Worcestershire to safety and the teams shook hands with Worcestershire 155-5 and only nine overs left to bowl.
Listen to Chris Dent's thoughts on the final day here :
With so much of Tuesday's play lost to the weather, the prospects for the final day surrounded how the pitch would behave given the substantial amount of rain which had fallen in the previous 24 hours. Gloucestershire's lead was a modest 145, and they could ill afford to lose a clutch of wickets in the first session.
John Hastings and Josh Tongue were certainly a lively opening pair, Tongue bowling a shorter length and testing but not tempting Chris Dent to hook or cut. Hastings, who had bowled from the Chapel end throughout the play that was possible on the third day, at one stage had six slips after Will Tavare played and missed twice in the same over. His eventual departure for 23, lbw to Barnard, brought a swift trip to the College balcony for sight of an action replay and a lot of muttering as he returned to the dressing room.
There was no evidence however of any excess moisture in the wicket and slowly Dent showed a little more enterprise, punching Barnard pleasantly off the back foot to take the lead past 200 in Brett D'Oliveira's first over.
Only 35 minutes remained until lunch when the leg spinner and George Rhodes' off spin were introduced and it wasn't until that stage that the shackles were released. Dent reached his fifty off 143 balls and at the interval the advantage was 271 with Gloucestershire's third wicket pair having added 68 runs in the previous 11 overs.
The game was still a genuine contest but Worcestershire's perseverance with their slow bowlers at the resumption hinted at a desire to generate a declaration. Dent swept Rhodes to the square leg boundary to complete his second hundred of the season, the second fifty taking only 43 deliveries, and Roderick's use of his feet was pleasing in striking five boundaries in a 77 ball half century.
When an over from Rhodes cost 21, Gloucestershire's lead was 338 and Phil Mustard had seen enough shortly after Roderick was bowled for 81 when Tongue returned to the attack. Dent, having batted for over four and a quarter hours, finished 135 not out and Gloucestershire had given themselves 51 overs to bowl Worcestershire out with a 369 run cushion.
Any chance of a win hinged on wickets in the first hour, as all the quicker bowlers had said there was little in the pitch for them once the ball went soft. David Payne and Liam Norwell answered that challenge with excellent opening spells, Payne trapping D'Oliveira and Fell lbw on the crease and Norwell bowling the experienced Daryl Mitchell.
Joe Clarke had already cracked a couple of handsome drives through the gaps in the off side field before tea, and Rhodes' departure in the second over after the resumption left him as the key man Gloucestershire needed to dislodge. However from a shaky position of 47-4, the England Lions batsmen went to the cusp of a third Championship century in his last five innings, standing tall to strike 15 stylish boundaries.
His control was in contrast to the rest of Worcestershire's top order, and even in a stand of 63 with Cox for the fifth wicket, the 'keeper's share was only 21 when he played no shot to Noema-Barnett and was adjudged lbw.
24 overs still remained at that stage, and with Clarke well set it was Ross Whiteley who found the composure to stay with him and secure Worcestershire a draw.
