The Hampshire and Lancashire women’s sides are currently locked in battle in a one day match which I am listening to. That will feature later in this post, but first I look back to Sunday and a happening that may just have ensured that the county of my birth, Gloucestershire, will finish as wooden spooners in this year’s county championship.
A BIZARRE FAILURE
Gloucestershire were in dire need of a win in this match, and when they declared their second innings at 395-7, an advantage of 278, in a match in which the ball had predominated they may well have reckoned on getting it. By the time I joined the coverage of this match, Somerset having disposed of Essex, Worcestershire were about halfway to the target and had not lost a wicket. Daniel Lategan, a young opener who was still looking for his maiden first class hundred going into this innings was going superbly, and he duly reached the landmark. He went on after reaching the landmark, and by the time he was out, caught by Joe Phillips of young leg spinner Ed Middleton the score had reached 244, of which his share was 144, and the match was as good as over. Middleton added Beyers Swanepoel, a South Africa who Worcestershire had sent in at number three in spite his batting average only being 25 to his scalp bag, taking a return catch to get him for 22. That was the end of Gloucestershire’s successes. Adam Hose at number four was unbeaten on 4 at the end, with Lategan’s opening partner, veteran Jake Libby, unbeaten on 107 in an eight wicket win. The single worst feature of a horrible innings for Gloucestershire was the performance of Sai Kishore, an Indian international left arm spinner. Kishore should have been his team’s most dangerous bowler on the final afternoon and evening of a four day fixture, but his actual figures were 18-2-79-0 – wicketless and costing four and half runs an over.
CROSS PUTS LANCASHIRE IN CONTROL
Kate Cross has recently announced that she will be retiring from professional cricket at the end of the season. Today she reminded those who needed just what a fine player the game will be losing. She soon had Hampshire three down cheaply, her share of the damage being 3-11 midway through her fourth over. She added another wicket at the end of the Hampshire innings. The south coast side had a meagre 223 from 48.4 overs, and Cross had 4-33 from 9.4 overs. Lancashire are handling the chase well as I write this and I expect that they will win quite comfortably.
PHOTOGRAPHS
My usual sign off…
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