Email Us Forum Mail Article Print Article

C&G - Gloucester at a canter

Sunday, August 31 2003

Gloucestershire lost little time in demonstrating that they an awesome one-day side today with a comprehensive thrashing of Worcestershire to win the 2003 C&G Trophy Final.

Gloucestershire won the toss and Mark Alleyne had little hesitation in asking Worcestershire to bat first, a decision more in keeping with tradition as opposed to any obvious pitch demons. Lord's in the morning at the end of the season can be a spiteful place for batsmen, although this day dawned fair and bright.

Vikram Solanki received the first ball from Mike Smith, met with a broad, defensive push. The second ball, a little wider, was despatched to the boundary through backward point. Jon Lewis shared the new ball and Anurag Singh opened his own account with a 'free hit' off the inside edge through midwicket following a no-ball.

The first significant change to the field came at the start of the seventh over when Mark Alleyne dispensed with the second slip. Solanki charged down the wicket to Smith and the predictable regulation edge went at catchable height for four instead of to the waiting fielder. Solanki then drove Lewis to the sightscreen for another sparkling boundary to move ominously into the twenties as Worcestershire progressed to 42 without loss after 10 overs.

Alleyne turned to Ian Harvey to break the opening partnership but the first ball was whipped past square leg by Solanki who was looking in quite stunning form. The first fleeting possibility of a breakthrough came at the other end though, as a rank long-hop from Lewis was under-edged by Solanki and Jack Russell, standing up, was unable to clutch the chance.

Anurag Singh got into the act with a cracking cover drive to elevate his own score into the twenties as the Worcestershire batsmen continued to build a solid platform, reaching 62 without loss as the fielding restrictions were relaxed after 15 overs.

Solanki's innings was cut short so needlessly on 40. Anurag Singh dug out a ball which nipped back at him and set off for a single. Solanki responded to the call and was half way down the track before Singh had second thoughts. Quick as a flash, Jonty Rhodes was on to the ball. Picking up and throwing in a single movement, the ball missed the stumps at the non-striker's end but Mark Alleyne had made ground to gather the ball and remove the bails with Solanki a couple of yards shy of the crease.

Graeme Hick's appearance was greeted by a huge roar from the Worcestershire supporters as he came out to face Harvey. Four balls later, Hick had deposited the ball straight into the waiting hands of Matt Windows at cover with an airy-fairy stroke for an ignominious duck to leave Worcestershire in some trouble at 65-2. Now it was the turn of the Gloucestershire fans to roar.

Two overs later and Harvey removed Singh (28) with some clever bowling. A couple of sharpish deliveries and then the tempter - a gentle away-swinger. Singh took the bait and flashed hard - straight to Martyn Ball at first slip who grasped the sharp chance in front of his face.

Ben Smith opened his account with a classic square drive for four, then Andrew Hall played a rare bad delivery from Harvey through midwicket for his first boundary. A second rare Russell blemish saw him drop Ben Smith off the bowling of Mark Alleyne as Gloucestershire kept up the pressure.

The bowler only had himself to blame in his following over when he grassed a straightforward return catch from the seemingly charmed Smith, but it was not to be much of a reprieve as yet another comical mix-up saw Smith prostrate in the middle of the pitch as the ball was returned by Russell to Alleyne who gleefully removed the bails to leave Worcestershire in desperate trouble on 92-4.

David Leatherdale was the next to depart as Worcestershire continued to have their collective thumbs firmly pressed on the self-destruct button, steering the gentle medium pace of Alex Gidman straight to Martyn Ball at slip who made no mistake, diving forward to grasp the ball inches off the ground. Three balls later and it was six down for 99 as Andrew Hall shuffled across his stumps to a straight ball from Gidman.

The hundred was posted in the 28th over but the batsmen appeared to have learned nothing as once again a ridiculous single was taken to Jonty Rhodes. This time, the throw narrowly missed the stumps with Batty floundering. Gloucestershire continued to turn the screw with Gidman and Ball giving nothing away as Steven Rhodes and Gareth Batty sought primarily to deal in singles.

The first boundary for a dozen overs came courtesy of a lofted drive over mid off by Batty off a rare half-volley by Ball which immediately prompted a relaxation in the field. Steven Rhodes, obviously hampered by an injury to his side, played one clubbing drive past mid-on for another much-needed boundary but just as the partnership was beginning to blossom, Batty (20) played all round a delivery by Jon Lewis and was adjudged leg before wicket with the total on 133 in the 40th over.

Gloucestershire consented to Rhodes having a runner, but the injured wicketkeeper lost his wicket without addition to his score of 15 when he steered a ball from Lewis straight to Ball at slip who took his third catch of the innings with some aplomb.

Matt Mason, in keeping with the majority of his colleagues, threw his own wicket away for a duck, telegraphing a charge down the wicket to Martyn Ball. The off-spinner speared the ball down the leg side and Jack Russell had the bails off in a trice to bring last man Nantie Hayward to the wicket with the total on 136.

Hayward and Kabir Ali batted sensibly for the next four overs but predictably, another rush of blood brought the innings to a close for 149 when Hayward slog-swept Ball straight down the throat of the substitute fielder Chris Taylor at midwicket when a more circumspect approach was demanded under the circumstances.

Any criticism of Hayward would be churlish though, when all he was doing was following the precedent his more illustrious batting colleagues had set. From a position of some strength on 64 without loss, all the Worcestershire wickets had fallen for just 85 runs in 26 overs. More to the point, almost without exception, each batsman had contributed to his own downfall.

--------------------------------------------------------

The Gloucestershire reply got under way with Craig Spearman and Philip Weston facing Kabir Ali who started with a wide, a nudged Spearman single and a flashing, uppish drive to the cover point boundary by Weston. He shared the new ball with South African speedster Nantie Hayward who was equally profligate, Spearman clipping a half-volley through midwicket and Weston driving a full toss past point as 19 came off the first two overs.

Another lovely drive off Ali brought Weston four through the covers, then Spearman took the aerial route over mid-on. Off the following delivery, he attempted to repeat the exercise over the off side but only succeeded in finding the waiting hands of Ben Smith at mid-off with the total on 30 after just three overs.

A better over by Hayward was treated with more respect by Weston, but it still contained one bad delivery which the Gloucestershire opener had little difficulty in threading through the covers for another boundary. Two brilliant saves in the covers by Leatherdale prevented Weston from profitind still further as the game continued to race away from Worcestershire at breakneck pace.

A beamer by Harward to Ian Harvey which rapped the Australian on the gloves brought a warning from the umpire and an apology from the bowler, then a straight drive by Weston brought the Gloucestershire score to 50-1 in the seventh over.

The introduction of Matthew Mason into the attack should have brought about the almost immediate demise of Weston. A cracking drive through the covers brought another boundary for the stylish left-hander but two deliveries later, an outside edge went straight to Andrew Hall at slip, only for the simple chance to be spurned.

As if Worcestershire needed any more reminding that it was not going to be their day, a wild pull by Harvey flew high and wide into the deep, only to fall between three converging fielders. To add insult to injury, Harvey then straight-drove Mason to the boundary and followed that up by doing the same to Andrew Hall.

Hall's second over brought two more lofted drives to the fence by Harvey as Gloucestershire continued to make the most of the fielding restrictions. An expansive drive by Weston off the bowling of Mason brought him a fortuitious boundary through third man and took his own contribution to 40. As if to suggest that he knew that had got the previous one wrong, Weston then played a glorious drive over extra cover as the Worcestershire attack continued to be put to the sword.

Another extravagant drive over extra cover by Harvey brought the hundred up in the 13th over. This was followed by two more crashing boundaries through the same area off the next two balls in a perfect demonstration of clean striking.

Weston fell for 46 with the total on 108 when he steered a wide one from Mason straight to Hall at slip who made amends for his earlier indiscretion. Hall made way for Gareth Batty at the pavilion end, a decision which met with the approval of Ian Harvey who smote his first three deliveries to the boundary to move to a splendid half-century in just 31 balls. A dot ball was followed by two more extraordinary boundaries by Harvey as Gloucestershire ended the first 15 overs of their reply on a mammoth 130-2.

Smith persevered with Batty and the young off-spinner was rewarded with the wicket of Harvey who gave him the charge only to be stumped by the smart glove work of substitute wicketkeeper Jamie Pipe for an electrifying 61. As if to ensure that the ending would not be too anticlimactic, Jonty Rhodes came in and whipped a fullish ball from Mason through midwicket with immaculate timing.

Alex Gidman showed that he can play the whipped drive through midwicket too as Gloucestershire moved inexorably towards their victory target. Another sparkling drive and a miscued hook by Gidman took the totals level with fully 30 overs remaining. In keeping with this bizarre affair, victory came via a rare miscue by Gidman which just evaded the clutching hands of cover point as the batsman was aiming leg-side.

It had been the fastest victory chase in the 40 year history of one-day cricket finals in England, beating Lancashire's destruction of Derbyshire five years ago by more than ten overs. For Gloucestershire, it had been a day to remember, whereas Worcestershire are left to rue the lapses in concentration earlier in the day which left them with a mountain to climb.


Worcestershire 149 all out (Solanki 40, Gidman 2-12, Ball 2-21)
Gloucestershire 150-3 (Harvey 61, Weston 46)

Cricket Web man of the match :Ian Harvey (Gloucestershire)



Posted by Eddie