T20 Blast opener ends in thrilling tie at Cheltenham Festival
7 July 2017
A wicket off the final ball bowled by Benny Howell saw Gloucestershire's opening Nat West T20 Blast fixture with Middlesex finish as a tie at the College Ground - only the second time Gloucestershire have been involved in a tie in the history of the competition.
Cameron Bancroft top scored with 51 as Gloucestershire made 182-5 after being put into bat, and they looked to be well on top until a fiercely struck half century by Ryan Higgins pulled Middlesex back into contention.
11 runs were required off the last over but with the scores level and one ball remaining, Nathan Sowter hit the final delivery straight to Tom Smith at cover to leave Middlesex on 182-9 and Higgins 68 not out.
Listen to David Payne's post match reaction here :
Gloucestershire omitted Gareth Roderick and George Hankins from their squad of 13 - although Hankins would be involved later - and played seven bowlers, all of whom were called upon during the Middlesex innings, but it was Gloucestershire who batted first after Middlesex captain Brendon McCullum won the toss.
Phil Mustard was Michael Klinger's opening partner, and both found the boundary in the first over, bowled by Paul Stirling. Two overs later, Klinger answered a call from Mustard for a third run but was hobbling by the time he completed it. An edge to 'keeper Simpson saw the Gloucestershire captain depart for 20 in the fourth over, and he played no part in the rest of the match with George Hankins fielding as substitute and taking a good catch to help dismiss the dangerous Dawid Malan.
Ian Cockbain pulled Southee into the crowd at square leg for the first six of the day, and with Mustard striking the ball cleanly down the ground Gloucestershire's start was brisk until Tom Helm and Nathan Sowter checked the scoring rate, the latter removing Mustard for 26 after an attempted reverse sweep went straight to McCullum at backward point.
Cockbain's contribution on the scoreboard was stopped at 20 by a fine catch from Eoin Morgan at long on off Helm, and it then called for a sensible stand between Bancroft and Howell to rebuild the innings for a late onslaught.
They added 61 in 7.2 overs, Howell hitting Ryan Higgins into the marquees at long on and Bancroft taking three boundaries off an over from Southee. His half century, from only 30 balls, contained four fours and two sixes, despite Middlesex's bowling tactics forcing Gloucestershire to play straight and offering little opportunity to attack the shorter square boundaries.
Bancroft's departure came in the 16th over, and from 130-4, Benny Howell then tried to lead the acceleration in the closing overs until having struck Southee for a second six he was caught and bowled by the New Zealander off a top edge for 33. Jack Taylor and Kieran Noema-Barnett saw the innings out, and a score of 182-5 left the game finely balanced.
Middlesex's powerful top order suggested Gloucestershire needed wickets to contain the run rate, and the sight of Paul Stirling striking Matt Taylor's second ball for six merely emphasised that theory. Taylor had his revenge four balls later, bowling Stirling for 10, but Dawid Malan was quickly into his stride too, and had struck five clean boundaries when George Hankins spilled a difficult chance at backward point off Chris Liddle.
Thereafter however, Gloucestershire's catching was excellent. Payne - who bowled McCullum after being clubbed for six to mid wicket - held a well judged effort off Tom Smith to remove Eoin Morgan, Hankins atoned for his earlier error to account for Malan (36) and Bancroft clung onto a chance at full stretch after Tim Southee had hit Jack Taylor a long way towards the College chapel.
Two farcical run outs saw the self inflicted departures of Scott and Simpson in Middlesex's middle order, and they still needed 59 to win with only four overs remaining.
From that point however Ryan Higgins took them to the brink of victory, collecting five sixes and two fours with some explosive hitting. 11 runs were needed from Benny Howell's last over but critically, Higgins was off strike for the final ball. Sowter clipped it straight to cover, and the game - a typical example of T20 cricket - was tied.
