Match Centre

GLOUCESTERSHIRE V MIDDLESEX | MATCH REPORT

Match report provided by the ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay.

DAY ONE

Kane Williamson bit the hand that once fed him with an unbeaten century for Middlesex on a curtailed opening day of the Rothesay County Championship Division Two match with Gloucestershire at Cheltenham.

Given a life on 29, the prolific New Zealander hit 104 not out, off just 112 balls, against his former county as the visitors ran up 232 for three after winning the toss. Josh De Caires contributed 58 and Leus du Plooy 42 not out, before bad light and drizzle ended play at 4.50pm.

Left-arm seamer Matt Taylor was the pick of the Gloucestershire bowlers with two for 47 from 12 overs, but it was a largely disappointing day for the hosts in front of a sparse Festival crowd, no doubt resulting from the unsettled weather.

The start was delayed until 12.15pm by rain and when the covers were removed a two-tone pitch was revealed, green for the most part, but shaved at both ends. In deciding to bat first, Middlesex presumably anticipated it would turn as the match progressed.

Under heavily overcast skies, Gloucestershire made a breakthrough with the second ball of the third over with the total on ten. Matt Taylor found the edge of Sam Robson’s bat and, although Cameron Bancroft could only parry the ball at first slip, Ollie Price was alert to pouch the rebound.

Todd Murphy was introduced into the attack from the College Lawn End for the ninth over, but the Australia Test off-spinner could make no impact during the shortened pre-lunch session, which ended with Middlesex 41 for one.

Max Holden helped De Caires take the score to 54 in the 15th over before pushing forward to a ball from Taylor that he could have left and edging through to wicketkeeper James Bracey. Murphy switched to the Chapel End to little effect as De Caires moved to an authoritative half-century off 81 deliveries, with 10 fours.

A big moment came with the score on 115 for two as Williamson edged Murphy to slip where Miles Hammond spilled a routine waist-high chance. It was all the good fortune the Kiwi master-bladesman needed to capitalise fully on the short boundaries at the College Ground.

De Caires was visibly frustrated to depart two runs later, lbw playing across a full delivery from Ben Charlesworth. That was as good as it got for Gloucestershire, du Plooy helping Williamson add 87 without alarm before the tea interval.

Having reached a 68-ball half-century, with 7 fours, Williamson took 20 off an over from Graeme van Buuren, twice smacking the left-arm spinner back over his head for sixes. Du Plooy looked equally untroubled and was unbeaten on 28 at tea, with his partner ten away from a hundred.

The final session saw Williamson bring up the century partnership off just 95 balls before moving to his own hundred with a single to square leg off Murphy. He had faced only 104 deliveries and hit 12 fours and 2 sixes.

With the skies closing in, umpires Neil Pratt and Sue Redfern decided the light was unfit with a further 32 overs still possible in the day. Soon the rain was falling heavily again and play was abandoned at just after 5.40pm.