May 2008 Archives

I am indebted to Radio WM's excellent sports reporter Mike Taylor for the following:

If Warwickshire, who closed at Gloucester tonight on 151 for 4 from 73 overs, were to maintain that rate of scoring then, assuming enough wickets remained in hand and the over-rate was 16 overs per hour, they would overhaul the world record first-class total of 1107 (Victoria v New South Wales, 1927) at 4.55pm next Thursday.

Close: Gloucestershire 334 for 6 (91 overs). Taylor 72, Hardinges 9.

Anyon collected his fourth wicket when Snell bottom-edged a pull to Frost to end a sixth-wicket stand of 118 in 30 overs.

The day ended in glorious sunshine with the pied wagtails still frolicking - indeed frolicking as delightfully and free of inhibition as at any stage of the day.

Honours just about even. Perhaps slightly Gloucestershire's day by virtue of the runs-on-the-board theory.

Gloucestershire 308 for 5 (85 overs). Taylor 65, Snell 35.

Strange day, with the three sessions both going emphatically to one side or t'other. Taylor is batting well, timing the ball beautifully. The pied wagtails are still prancing around engagingly, a train with big red drums has just gone past, a brief spell of spin from Botha was accurate but unchallenging and the new ball is now being purveyed by Tahir and Carter.

Gloucestershuire 264 for 5 (72 overs). Taylor 39, Snell 19.

Poonia went off the field for one over. During that over, Calum McLeod went on as sub and, fielding at third man, found a sliced drive from Taylor fizzing towards him. McLeod made a great attempt to complete a diving catch racing forward but Taylor, on 35, survived.

This day is a microcosm of Warwickshire season. A bad session, a good session and a, so far, moderate session.

Woakes and Trott are on.

They have resumed.

Gloucestershire 236 for 5 (64 overs). Taylor 23, Snell 12.

Anyon and Tahir probing away. Further wickets here would put the Bears well in charge on a decent batting wicket.

Le soleil brille.

Gloucestershire 221 for 5 still. There was a bit of bad light and very slight rain but it has been bright and dry for a while but this is county cricket so we are now into the obligatory half an hour's totally inexplicable delay beyond that which was necessary.

Two acts of glorious kindness today.
1. I had been driving round Gloucester for about a fortnight trying to find the ground when I pulled up and asked a bloke where it was. He was just walking away from his car but, seeing my doubt about his complicated instructions, he returned to his vehicle, got in and drove to the ground so I could follow. Top man.

2. An elderly chap in the crowd was hit on the bonce by a ball from one of the games being played by boys beyond the boundary. He was not badly hurt but rather shaken and a lady went over and held a cold towel to his napper for a while. Lovely gesture.

Gloucestershire 221 for 5 (58 overs). Taylor 10, Snell 10.

Bad light stops play just before tea which they will now take.

Porterfield's 220-minute plod to 63 ended when he edged Anyon to Frost, giving the bowler a spell of three for one in 13 balls.

Covers coming on so there must be rain around.

Gloucestershire 175 for 2 (45 overs). Porterfield 51, North 13.

Porterfield has reached a stodgy 50 (128 balls) in which he should have been caught twice.

A green train has just chugged past behind Navdeep Poonia at deep square leg. Pretty little ground, this, with handsome trees around two sides, numerous white tents (in one of which one correspondent is determinedly grappling with a sudoku puzzle) a dinky pavilion, "Divine Sausage", three little scoreboards (all of which, at one memorable stage this morning, disagreed) and a decent-sized crowd.

Chris Martin is all but a done deal and the formalities should be completed next Tuesday with him set to play from the Twenty20 onwards.

Chris is no relation to Alvin, who once scored an embarrassing own goal in West Ham's 1-0 defeat at Wrexham.

Gloucestershire 154 for 2 (38 overs). Porterfield 43, North 0.

And the desired further breakthrough arrives in the very next over when Tahir gets one to swing outside Marshall's defensive shot and knock out his off-stump.

Gloucestershire 153 for 1 (37 overs). Porterfield 43, Marshall 0.

Carter finds the outside-edge of Porterfield's bat but Frost, perhaps thinking it was first-slip's catch, is slow to go for it and only gets a glove on it late.

But the impressive Carter then gets some deserved reward with the big prize. Spearman, who had slowed right up in the 90s, edges to Trott in the slips and goes for 95.

Later in the over, Frost fails to take a ball cleanly and is soon wringing his hand in pain. After brief treatment from the physio he carries on.

It's gone humid again and the light is not great. Another wicket quickly and Warwickshire are right back in it.