Vitality County Championship 2024, Round 13, Day 4, 9th -12th Sept, Live Streaming, Latest Scores, Match Reports All Matches Division 1 and 2

Durham’s Matthew Potts took a career-best nine for 68 to help his side complete their innings and 63-run thrashing of Lancashire in the Vitality County Championship match at The Riverside.

Resuming on 155 for four and needing another 190 runs to avoid their their fourth innings defeat of the season, Lancashire lost their last six wickets in less than a session and were bowled out for 282. The only shred of comfort for the visitors was offered by 20-year-old Matty Hurst, who made 67, his second fifty of the match and fifth half-century of the season.

At one stage of his devastating spell from the Lumley End, Potts was on a hat-trick but he had to settle for three wickets in four balls when Tom Bailey nicked his second delivery to first slip Scott Borthwick. The Durham spearhead finished his first spell on this final morning with figures of 10-1-30-5 and ended the game when he had Anderson Phillip leg before wicket to complete a match return of 12 for 126.   

Durham take 24 points from the game, effectively ending any lingering fears of relegation, whereas Lancashire take one point, a return which keeps them in ninth place in Division One deepens their anxieties that they will be playing in the second tier next April.

Lancashire’s collapse began with the ninth ball of the morning when George Balderson was leg before wicket to Potts for 16 but it really moved into top gear about half an hour later when Venkatesh Iyer played on to the Durham fast bowler and Tom Hartley immediately lost his off stump when not attempting a stroke.

Bailey prevented the hat-trick but nicked his second ball from Potts to Borthwick to leave yet another Lancashire innings in tatters on 195 for eight.  

Hurst and Anderson Philip delayed Durham for a few overs but Borthwick’s bowlers were not to be denied. Having made a fine 67 off 125 balls, Hurst hooked Potts to long leg where Callum Parkinson took an excellent tumbling catch a few inches from the boundary rope.

After an entertaining last-wicket stand of 61 in 12 overs between Anderson Philip and Tom Aspinwall, the game ended when Potts was recalled and dismissed Phillip for 41. Aspinwall finished unbeaten on 26.   

The bad news for Durham supporters ahead of their final two Championship games is that Potts will now join England’s squad for the one-day internationals and will not be available to the county for the rest of the season.

Keaton Jennings, Lancashire captain, said:

It's really disappointing again but it's not through lack of effort. People are turning up and they're trying their hearts out to improve and be at the races. 

But we are producing at the moment is just fundamentally not good enough.  You saw the way David Bedingham and Colin Ackermann went about their work and it was a template for our guys to follow.

Bedingham's innings is one of the best first-class innings I've ever seen. He controlled the tempo of the game and he hurt us. 

We kept steaming in but what we are producing at the moment just isn't good enough and it doesn't enable us to compete. 

You want to try and find a way to compete and ours is a very quiet changing room at the moment. The players are hurting.  It's tough to take, you don't want to turn up every week and get spanked around, it's not why we spent months and months working in the winter.

We now have to make sure we turn up next week. We have two really big games ahead of us and it could come down to eight days of cricket. 

The whole narrative of the season could change. At the moment it's bitter to take. We're a young team but that's no excuse. e have to turn up.

Matthew Potts, Durham fast bowler, said: 

That feels really good.  Obviously, there was a bit of uncertainty about what the team was going to look like but it was great to come back and deliver for the boys at the end of the season. I felt that was only right that we turned up to do the job.

David Bedingham keeps churning them out ands both he and Colin Ackermann are very chilled at the crease. They had a good tempo and put the bowlers under pressure and that was the way to go  on that pitch.  I think that's where Lancashire went wrong in their approach in the first innings. 

It was a pretty flat pitch and that made it hard work. We thought it was going to be a full day but it just so happened that we got an opening and took the chance to push on.

Scott Borthwick told me after my sixth over that it was time to put my feet on ice but I got a wicket and he said: "Okay, Ill leave you on," and I said "Good luck taking me off," but after my tenth over I was absolutely goosed.  I'd thrown everything I could at them. 

I took the second new ball and threw the old one as far as I could off the field.  It's a disgusting thing, I've got it in my pocket and it looks as though I've been throwing it for my dogs for the past  hour   

Simon Harmer claimed his second four-wicket haul of the Vitality County Championship match as Essex wrapped up an innings victory over Nottinghamshire before lunch on the final day.

  The South African off-spinner finished with 4-93 as Nottinghamshire’s batting collapsed for a second time in double-quick time to lose by an innings and 83 runs.

  The relegation-threatened visitors folded from their overnight 180-2, still needing 184 to make Essex bat again, losing their remaining eight wickets in 38 overs while adding 101 runs in an extended morning session. They had conceded a 364-run deficit on first innings when bowled out for just 93.

  Harmer, who added two wickets in the morning, was ably supported by Sam Cook and Paul Walter, who took two wickets apiece to condemn Nottinghamshire to their fourth defeat of the season.

  Needing to take eight wickets to claim their first win in five games, Essex made early inroads. Cook sent back the two overnight batsmen, Haseeb Hamed and Joe Clarke, inside the first 20 minutes to end their 137-run third-wicket stand. Hameed shaped to play the ball down to third man and was lbw after advancing his score by five to 105 from 166 balls.

  Clarke followed, chasing a delivery outside off-stump for Harmer to take the catch high to his right at second slip.

  Jack Haynes and Kyle Verreynne weighed anchor, scoring at two an over for a dozen overs before Walter struck twice in the space of three balls. Haynes departed for eight from 48 balls, aiming to play to leg but getting a leading edge back to the bowler. Lyndon James then fell to a spectacular flying catch at cover by Shane Snater.

  The new-ball accounted for Liam Patterson-White slashing at the third delivery from Jamie Porter with Michael Pepper moving across the claim in front of first slip.

  The new Kookaburra was only six overs old when Harmer returned and with his fourth delivery had Rob Lord lobbing the ball into bat-pad’s hands. Two balls later Luke Fletcher fell for a three-ball pair when he was bowled.

  With one wicket standing, Essex claimed the extra half-hour but found Verreynne in obdurate mood for his unbeaten 38. Sixteen-year-old Farhan Ahmed was learning on the job before he nicked behind Snater’s second ball of the seventh extra over.

Anthony McGrath, Essex Director of Cricket, said: “It was a pretty comprehensive victory.  After losing the toss in difficult conditions, I thought we did well to get that score (457) in the first innings. There were some great innings played individually and then we bowled superbly.

  “It all went towards making up for last week when we lost to Worcestershire and we were all bitterly disappointed with that. We wanted to come back from that with a bang and we have certainly done that.

  “In the context of where we were in the season, our proud record at home, getting in front of the game with a 140-lead and then to let all that slip was probably down to our mentality. So the guys wanted to show that was just a one-off, a bad day or two at the office.

  “The attitude they showed in training this week, the way they spoke ahead of the game and the way they backed it up with actions was superb.

  “We had to come off the pitch countless times whether we were batting or bowling and that is not easy. But whenever we did restart after the breaks, I thought we started well and that contributed to our big win. I thought that overall, we were superb and somewhere near back to our best.

  “We’ve got two games left this season and the intent is to win both games. They are obviously two tough games, Warwickshire and Surrey, and the motivation is to finish as strongly as possible.”

Nottinghamshire captain Haseeb Hameed made a century and passed 1,000 runs for the season, and said: “It was disappointing. We didn’t play to the level we want to play at. It has been a combination of good bowling from Essex and us losing wickets in clusters. That session yesterday was one when they took control.

  “We were looking to extend our partnership as far as we could this morning. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work out that way. I think it was always going to be tough for new batters to come in and try and bat out the day, it was spinning quite a lot.

  “Joe [Clarke] has been outstanding. It was good sto pend that time in the middle with him and have that partnership. I enjoyed batting with him and hopefully it bodes well for a good few years.

    “As a group of players we are disappointed in how we’ve performed. But we’re ready to take on the challenges to come, starting at Kent on Tuesday and Warwickshire at home to finish off the season. Now our full focus is on Kent.

  “It has been a huge privilege to lead the team and be given that opportunity. But it’s important for me to still contribute in my main skill which is my batting and that’s been pleasing. Hopefully I can finish the season strongly.”

Kent will live to fight another day in Division One of the Vitality County Championship after they battled for a draw with Hampshire on a thrilling final day at Canterbury.

Kent were all out for 338 in their second innings, leaving Hampshire to chase 143 from nine overs at 15.89.

Jack Leaning made exactly 100 in a stand of 149 with Harry Finch, who was the last man out for 79, while Kyle Abbott took four for 66 and Muhammad Abbas three for 69.

Hampshire spent 2.4 overs trying to pull off an improbable run chase and were 24 for one when bad light stopped play at 5.54pm.

It’s been a tough season at The Spitfire Ground, but the members who stuck by their team were finally rewarded with a superb day of cricket that was fascinatingly poised throughout, particularly during a fractious and excruciating final session.

Kent began on 70 without loss in their second innings, still 126 behind and they suffered a major blow went Tawanda Muyeye went to the fourth ball of the morning when he edged Abbott to Toby Albert at second slip and was out for 46.

He then removed Ben Compton for 25, again caught by Albert, before Abbas took two wickets in nine balls. A distraught Daniel Bell-Drummond was lbw for 23, before Joe Denly saw his off stump pinged back for five.

Abbott returned from the Nackington Road to get Joey Evison for 11, victim of a low slip catch by James Vince, leaving Leaning and Finch to survive to 145 for five at lunch.

If Kent’s prospects looked bleak at that point, the duo then batted out the entire afternoon session, with only one serious alarm: Leaning was on 34 when he drove Brad Wheal straight to extra cover, but the ball hit Tom Prest in the stomach and fell to the floor. Leaning subsequently drove James Fuller for four to reach his 50 and simultaneously put Kent into the lead.

Hampshire’s tactic of bowling short backfired as both batters comfortably dealt with a barrage of bouncers. With the game drifting Dawson switched to the Nackington Road End, but he had no more joy trying to spin the ball up the slope than he had down it.

The hosts reached a far healthier looking 268 for five at tea, at which point the lead was 72 with 37 overs remaining.

Hampshire’s hopes now hinged on the new ball and although Leaning glanced a single of Abbott to bring up his hundred, he was lbw to Abbas in the next over, ending a record sixth-wicket partnership for Kent against Hampshire and reigniting the contest.

Wheal replaced Abbott at the Pavilion End and immediately had Charlie Stobo caught by Prest for 17 at short midwicket. Abbott switched ends and got Matt Parkinson for seven and George Garrett went for four, caught behind off Wheal in the next over.

Singh, however, managed to linger for 27 balls in a crucial last wicket stand with Finch that ate up 11 overs. Aside from one frankly embarrassing appeal for a catch to a ball that everyone in the ground could see had bounced, they offered few chances until Finch inexplicably tried to hook James Fuller and he was caught at first slip by Vince.

Although rain had already started to fall and the covers went on and off without any overs being lost and Hampshire sent out Vince and Fuller.

It might have been a viable run chase in Blast cricket but in bad light and with nine fielders on the boundary it was largely theoretical, especially when the rain returned.

Vince was bowled by Garrett for 11 in the gathering gloom and although Liam Dawson hit ten off the next two balls, the umpires brought the players off and the players eventually shook hands after some tetchy exchanges as they left the field.

With Lancashire and Nottinghamshire both losing, Kent retain a slim chance of avoiding relegation and they face a crucial game at home to the latter next week.

Kent’s Jack Leaning said: “We probably needed to win this game but if we couldn’t win it we needed to get a decent draw so we’ll definitely take 11 points from it and hopefully some results elsewhere will go our way and we can win the last two games to get a happy ending to the season.

“We quite like batting together to be honest (Finch). We spend enough time together off the field so it makes sense that we enjoy batting together. (The plan was) just to see where the game took us really, the nature of the pitch was quite slow, it wasn’t particularly easy to score when they hit their lines. They set some good fields and obviously they’re a very good team as well, but as they got through the innings they changed their tactics, which allowed us to score more easily.

“If we got an opportunity to try and push for a result then brilliant but unfortunately it didn’t go that way and here we are.

“We got told at tea that it was looking like (Notts and Lancs) were both going to get it beat, so it altered the game slightly. There was talk about trying to set a game up because obviously they’re in the hunt, or they were in the hunt, to win the league, especially with the result down at Taunton but t didn’t quite fall hat way and as it stands a draw, albeit not the best result we could have hoped for this week, keeps us alive.

(On Singh and Garrett’s batting)

“Little bits like that sometimes go unnoticed, especially when there’s not a run value, but the time taken out of the game allows us to bat differently and still drive the game ourselves. The way Jas batted at the end with Finchy took some time out of the game, gave us a good opportunity of trying to get a draw and all the pressure’s on them to go and win the game. It’s just a shame we couldn’t have done it earlier in the gae and I think we’ve had this conversation a few times this year, but there’s still two games to go and if we can get a couple of positive results, who knows where the season will finish? We’ve sat here and had the same conversation in the last two seasons and we’re still in Division One, so there’s still hope yet.”

Hampshire’s Adrian Birrell said: “To get 20 wickets on this pitch, with a Kookaburra, and it got really flat, it sort of went to its old characteristics of slow and low and no pace and I’m very proud of the guys to get 20 wickets on that, it was a huge effort.

“There was that very good partnership with Finch and Leaning when we didn’t get a wicket in the afternoon and missed one or two chances, but we knew with the second new ball we could crack it open and we did, but there was just too much at the back end with the light going. We lost time yesterday, we lost time on the first day and we lost the toss, so a lot of things against us, but full credit to the guys, they put in a huge amount of effort to try and win this game. We knew it was a crucial game in relation to where we are on the log and what was happening also at Somerset. We were looking at the game and looking here and seeing if we could somehow get a win and keep in touch.

“It was tough because they’ve got nine fielders on the boundary and one long side here, it was just too much right at the end. Everyone in the changing room said let’s go for it and the captain led from the front, opening the batting. It was like a T20 line-up with Fuller going in up front as well, it was just too many at the back end there.

(On the incidents at the end)

“It was too sides, one trying to save the game and one trying to win and then there was light involved and the fielding side thought we should be off the field and there was something said there, but it’s all in the heat of the battle and two sides desperately trying to play a very good game of cricket. It was a bit heated but I think over four days it was an excellent game of cricket and we unfortunately couldn’t quite get the win we needed.

“I don’t think it was out looking at the replays (the incident with Singh), but our guys thought it was out. That happens when you’re desperately trying to win a game and things are said. There’s a lot of heat in that moment and that’s cricket. It was a good game to be part of and we really pushed hard to try and win this game. Abbott getting nine wickets in the match, Abbas has just got 700 first-class wickets and Dawson bowling a lot of overs … Prest’s innings was outstanding and got us in to a position where we could get them to follow on batting with the tail. There were so many good things and a lot of fight shown by the team. We sort of rue the first four games of the season because since then we’ve been as good as any team in the country.”

Spinners Archie Vaughan and Jack Leach sparked a dramatic late Surrey collapse as Somerset boosted hopes of a first ever Vitality County Championship title with a thrilling 111-run win over the Division One leaders at Taunton.

Chasing 221 to win on a turning pitch, Surrey were bowled out for 111 with less than five minutes left in the game, 18-year-old Vaughan claiming five for 38 and match figures of 11 for 140, while Leach finished with five for 37.  Only Dom Sibley (56) and Ben Foakes (20) offered prolonged resistance, but their fourth-wicket stand of 49 in 29 overs looked to have secured a draw before seven wickets fell for 14 runs at the end.

Somerset had extended their second innings score from an overnight 194 for fine to 224 all out, thanks to more heroics from the injured Tom Banton, last man out for 46, and Craig Overton, unbeaten on 49 after an unlikely stand of 71, which gave their side genuine hope of victory.

They claimed 21 points from the game to Surrey’s five and closed the gap at the top of the table to just eight points with two matches to play.

The final day began with the sight of Banton limping slowly out to bat with a runner, as he had done the previous evening. After two balls, he had to drag his damaged ankle back to the pavilion again as rain interrupted play.

A resumption at 11.05am, with eight overs lost, saw Overton and Banton bring up a half-century partnership off 61 balls. The most extraordinary of Banton’s 6 fours came when he reverse swept Shakib Al Hasan, despite severely limited foot movement.

The memorable 65-ball innings ended when Shakib found a way through Banton’s defence and bowled him, leaving Overton one short of a deserved fifty, after facing 78 balls and occupying the crease for two hours and 16 minutes.

Surrey were left with a tricky 13 overs to bat before lunch, but Rory Burns and Sibley negotiated it with skill and calmness., The pattern continued after another shower had delayed the restart until 1.20pm, with three more overs lost.

But as the effects of the roller began to wear off, the ball began to turn sharply and Vaughan struck a double blow in the 22nd over, having Burns caught behind for 15 and then bowling Ryan Patel for a third-ball duck. At the other end, Leach beat Ben Geddes with three successive deliveries in the 29th over.

Geddes’ luck ran out in Leach’s next over when he was pinned lbw and at 46 for three, Surrey were in a deepening hole. Sibley and Foakes abandoned any attacking intent and met the nagging accuracy of Somerset’s spinners with a spell of solid defence, bringing 50 up in the 38th over.

Both were quick to make for the pavilion when rain started falling again at 2.45pm with the score 63 for three. Tea was taken with Sibley unbeaten on 38.

The final session began at 3.20pm with another three overs lost. Leach continued to probe and beat the outside edge, but after 44 consecutive overs of spin, teenager Vaughan took a break and was replaced by Craig Overton.

Brett Randell then replaced Leach, who had sent down 14 maidens in 24 overs. After a few overs of seam, the spinners changed ends in a final Somerset throw of the dice, Leach switching to the River End.

A swept single off Vaughan took Sibley to a 165-ball half-century that perfectly suited the situation. But then Foakes edged Leach to Lewis Gregory at first slip and when Sibley’s defiance ended in similar fashion in the left-armer’s next over, panic set in for the visitors.

Gregory claimed a third slip catch to send back Shakib and give Vaughan his ninth wicket of the match. It became ten when Tom Curran aimed to cut the 18-year-old and got an inside edge onto his stumps.

Cameron Steel fell lbw to Vaughan and Surrey were eight down with a minimum of nine overs remaining. Jordan Clark and Kemar Roach ran down the overs with an obdurate partnership before Clark was bowled by Vaughan for a 47-ball duck.

Last man Dan Worrall came out to be surrounded by close fielders and lasted just two balls before Leach dismissed him leg before to spark wild celebrations among team-mates and supporters.

Somerset captain Lewis Gregory said: “It was a crazy hour at the end. There were periods when not much happened, but the lads hung in there and Jack Leach and Archie Vaughan were fantastic the whole game.

“To get a win with only a couple of minutes left in the match was very special. Four-day wins are some of the most pleasing you have as a cricketer because you work so hard for them.

“Archie has taken to first class cricket like a duck to water. The fact that he is more of a batter than a bowler is the really exciting bit and we believe he is going to be very good to watch with the bat over a number of years.

“If you throw in the off-spin he has bowled in this game, there is a mighty special cricketer developing.

“Leachy is a great mate of mine. He has been through a good deal of adversity in his life and not just his cricket career. It’s great to see him back in the England squad and I’m sure he will show what he can do in Pakistan.

“The coaches and myself said at the start of the season that we wanted to be in a position to challenge for trophies come September. The fact that we can still win three shows the calibre of players we have in our dressing room.”

Somerset head coach Jason Kerr on the injured Tom Banton: “Tom will travel with us to T20 Finals Day, but is very unlikely to take part. His ankle injury looks pretty serious, but we are still awaiting the results of a scan to determine how bad it is.

“James Rew will come into the squad and I would be surprised if he doesn’t keep wicket for us. Tom is an incredible talent, but so is James and we believe he has a bright future in all formats.”

Surrey head coach Gareth Batty said: “We had a concentration lapse for the last hour of the game and it cost us the result.

“It was a very good game of cricket and we played our part in it, but Somerset deservedly take the points.

“We are still top of the league and eight points clear. And, while we had a poor hour, there were still lots of positives to take from the game for us.

“Archie Vaughan bowled nicely, but it is for Somerset to comment on his performance. It’s a really nice start for the lad and we wish him all the success for the future.

“It will stay in the dressing room how we are feeling. We are a very tight unit and we will go into next week incredibly confident that we can do what is required at The Oval.

“We meet Somerset again at Finals Day on Saturday. It will be a different format and different colour ball, but both teams have played good cricket in the group stages. There will be a few new faces in the match-ups and we will go again.”

Will Rhodes struck his third century of the season to steer Warwickshire to safety in their hard-fought Vitality County Championship draw with local rivals Worcestershire at Visit Worcestershire New Road.

The result leaves Worcestershire and Warwickshire 40 and 36 points respectively ahead of second from bottom Lancashire and both are strongly placed to ensure another campaign of top flight cricket.

Former Warwickshire captain Rhodes is ending a seven season association with the Bears at the end of the campaign to join Durham on a three year contract.

He showed his quality in defying the home side’s push for victory after Warwickshire had followed on and were still eight runs in arrears with three second wickets down at the start of the final day.

Rhodes cover drove Logan van Beek for his 15th four to reach three figures off 198 balls.

When a heavy downpour post lunch ended play, the 29-year-old was unbeaten on 121 and needing just 46 more runs to complete 1,000 in a first class season for the first time.

Rhodes was given excellent support by 18-year-old Hamza Sheikh (33 not out) in only his second Championship match.

Sheikh clearly enjoys batting at New Road as last month he scored 91 for England Lions against Sri Lanka in the tourists only warm up match before the Test series against England.

He helped Rhodes add an unbroken 83 as Warwickshire went through the play possible on the fourth day without losing a wicket.

But Worcestershire can reflect on plenty of positives after defying their lengthiest injury list in living memory in virtually guaranteeing another season of Division One cricket after last summer’s promotion.

Away triumphs over Durham and Essex, after being firmly behind the eight ball in both games, were evidence of their fighting spirit and belief.

Warwickshire resumed on 171-3 after being asked to follow on, still eight runs in arrears, with Will Rhodes unbeaten on 72.

Tom Taylor, who yesterday had achieved career best figures of 6-28, and Matthew Waite settled into a steady rhythm and beat the bat on several occasions.

Rhodes leg glanced Taylor for four to steer Warwickshire into the lead and then on drove Waite to the boundary.

There was no nervous 90s for Rhodes who straight drove and cut Waite to the ropes and brought up three figures off 198 balls with a cover drive for his 15th four off Logan van Beek.

The fourth wicket pair were relatively untroubled although the second new ball brought a moral victory for Taylor when Rhodes on 119 edged just short of Brookes at second slip.

But Rhodes and Shaikh safely negotiated the morning session without being parted and added 75 runs in 31.4 overs.

There was only time for six more runs to be added at the start of the afternoon session before the heavens opened and play was abandoned at 2.20pm.

Tom Price and Zafar Gohar held their nerve to steer Gloucestershire to a tense victory at Lord’s and deal Middlesex’s Vitality County Championship promotion hopes a severe blow.

The visitors appeared to be cruising to their target of 234 after Miles Hammond and James Bracey both struck half-centuries in a fourth-wicket partnership of 113.

But a three-wicket burst for off-spinner Josh de Caires in the space of nine deliveries hauled Middlesex back into contention before the seventh-wicket pair steered Gloucestershire over the line with an unbroken stand of 54.

It was Gloucestershire’s second successive red-ball win at Lord’s, lifting them to fifth place in Division Two, while the home side drop to third and trail Yorkshire, in the second promotion spot, by 15 points.

Middlesex applied pressure during the early stages as Toby Roland-Jones opened up with a maiden and Ryan Higgins struck with his fourth delivery, searing back down the slope to trap Ben Charlesworth in front for a duck.

Opening partner Cameron Bancroft soon followed suit, lbw to a ball that Higgins moved the other way, but Hammond started to score freely against the change bowlers, pulling Tom Helm over the short boundary for six.

The left-hander added a valuable 41 in tandem with Ollie Price before Helm made the breakthrough, having the latter caught low at first slip to bring Bracey to the middle on a pair.

Bracey banished that prospect by carving Henry Brookes for successive off-side boundaries and added two more off Helm’s next over as Gloucestershire started to settle down again, going to lunch at 101 for three.

There was a scare for Bracey soon after the interval, when he slashed outside off stump at Helm and the ball flew fast and high to Robson at slip but, despite getting both hands to it, the fielder was unable to cling on.

It was Hammond who won the race to 50 with his partner, reaching the landmark from 100 balls by drilling Higgins to the cover fence and Bracey was not far behind, using up 20 fewer deliveries in posting his half-century.

Having swept Luke Hollman for successive fours to raise the century partnership, Hammond (78) looked on course for a ton of his own until he attempted a repeat of the stroke to De Caires and skied to mid-on.

With Graeme van Buuren given out caught behind two balls later and Bracey sweeping into the hands of deep midwicket for 56, Gloucestershire suddenly found themselves six down and under renewed pressure.

De Caires (three for 45) continued to test the batters with flight and turn, but Price eased the tension by on-driving Roland-Jones to the boundary to take Gloucestershire beyond 200 and he and Zafar advanced steadily towards the finish line.

Zafar, who had top-scored with 86 in the first innings, applied the finishing touch as he smote a De Caires full toss to the fence to finish unbeaten on 19, with Price alongside him on 34.