Roderick resists pain to secure draw with Kent
15 September 2017
When Gareth Roderick left the field on the third afternoon with what was later diagnosed as a broken finger, he wasn't expected to play again this season, let alone in this match.
However, the fall of Gloucestershire's sixth wicket barely an hour after lunch with a second innings lead of only 198 called for a recognised batsmen to shut out Kent's chances of victory on the final day, and with the aid of some pain killers and strapping on his right hand Roderick batted for more than two hours, making an unbeaten 78 to ensure Gloucestershire could save the game.
Earlier Cameron Bancroft, in his last innings of the summer, had added an important 72 to his first innings double hundred as Gloucestershire batted out time until declaring their second innings at 294-9, a lead of 293.
Listen to Gareth Roderick's thoughts on the day's play here :
The final day began with - according to the media interviews done on the third evening - differing views about how a potential finish might be brokered. The onus was therefore on Kent to bowl Gloucestershire out and Darren Stevens' opening spell suggested that might be achievable.
The long serving all rounder induced an edge from Chris Dent from the first ball of the day, and three deliveries later had his appeal for lbw upheld by umpire Russell Warren as skipper Phil Mustard, promoted to number three, didn't play a shot.
It left a challenging position for James Bracey, who joined Bancroft to try and steady the innings. Kent deployed two men at short mid wicket to stifle one of Bancroft's lucrative scoring areas, and the lead was still only 90 when Stevens, who bowled unchanged for the first hour, trapped Bracey lbw for 13.
Time was an important factor but Gloucestershire could not afford to let the score crawl along, so a couple of Hankins cover drives for four off Stevens were more than welcome, as were two boundaries in an over to Bancroft off Milne.
Bancroft's half century - made from 137 deliveries with eight boundaries - came up before lunch but he had lost Hankins by the interval, Mitchell Claydon finding the edge after Hankins made 30 in an hour. 69 overs still remained - Kent's over rate had been slow - but with the lead at 155 there was still work to do.
If Kent were to force a victory they could ill afford to see catches go down, and Coles' vain attempt to take an edge that would have removed Jack Taylor off Claydon with only eight runs added after lunch was one such opportunity. The game was still in the balance at that point, and even more so when Kent took three wickets in eight overs with a potential target still within range.
Bancroft's patient vigil was ended when he played back to Milne and was adjudged lbw for 72, Coles returned to have Jack Taylor caught behind for 27 - the wicket which brought Roderick to the crease - and Kieran Noema-Barnett drove Stevens straight to mid off with the lead at 209 and still more than 50 overs available.
Three quick wickets then would have left Kent with a teasing chase so Gloucestershire needed an established batsman to see the game through, and although in obvious discomfort Roderick answered the call.
Protecting the right hand as much as he could, he was content initially to let any scoring come through using the pace of the ball. He survived one chance - Claydon seeing an edge to gully go down when Roderick had made 23 - and with some dogged support from Josh Shaw, they had just about reached secure water by tea at 233-7, 232 ahead.
The wickets of Shaw (2) and Norwell (8) came too late to be of any use to Kent in the final session as Roderick, with attacking fields, was able to complete an unbeaten half century, reaching fifty from 76 balls with eight fours. It was a gutsy effort, and a necessary one in the context of a hard fought match.
