We Can Bounce Back From Opening Defeat - Michael
27 July 2014
Gloucestershire captain Michael Klinger admitted his side had been 'outplayed in a few key departments' after a four-wicket Royal London 50-over Cup defeat to Northamptonshire on the final day of this year's Brewin Dolphin Cheltenham Festival.
Klinger top-scored with 98 as Gloucestershire made a below-par 240-9 in their opening group game of the competition. Adam Rossington (82) and Richard Levi (43) led Northants to an emphatic victory, which was completed with almost eight overs to spare, much to the disappointment of a 3,000-plus crowd at the College Ground.
Klinger felt one of the important areas won by the visitors was the first ten overs in each innings, in which Gloucestershire made 31-1 and Northants reached 54-1,having been only 8-1 after five overs.
He told this website: "Northants had the better of the first ten overs in each innings and that made a difference. Rossington and Levi gave them momentum when they batted, and we needed one of our top three to do the same and it didn't quite happen for us."I thought 270 would have been a par score, and if we had got to 280 or 290 then that would have put them under real pressure.
"They had the edge on us in the bowling department today. They've got bowlers who can bat in the top six and that gave them more options overall."
Gloucestershire's captain took little consolation from the fact that his 98, which included nine fours, was his best one-day score of the summer. Asked if was pleased to get so many runs, he replied: "No, not really. If I'd gone on to get 140 I would have been happier."
Klinger and director of cricket John Bracewell held a lengthy on-field debrief with the players afterwards. Klinger said: "I still feel we have a side that is capable of doing well in this competition, and this was only the first game. But I wanted to discuss a few things with the team, so that we can hopefully put them right when we play Yorkshire on Tuesday."
Alex Gidman is set to miss that game at Headingley after suffering back spasms today. The county's former captain didn't field when Northants batted. For more details of the Northants game click on Cricket and then Match Reports.
