Match report provided by the ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay.
DAY TWO
Half-centuries from Leus du Plooy and Luke Hollman cemented a strong Middlesex position on the second day of the rain-affected Rothesay County Championship Division Two match against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham.
After a delayed start due to a wet outfield, the visitors increased their first innings total from an overnight 232 for three to 445 all out, first day centurion Kane Williamson dismissed for 153, while du Plooy contributed 57, Hollman 60 not out and Ben Geddes 44. Matt Taylor returned three for 88 and Todd Murphy three for 106.
By the close, Gloucestershire had replied with 54 for one, skipper Cameron Bancroft unbeaten on 25, and trailed by 391 runs.
The heavy rain of the previous evening left its mark and a healthy Festival crowd at the College Ground had to be patient in awaiting a 12.30pm start, with 80 overs to be bowled in the day. The 40 minutes before a revised lunch interval saw du Plooy move from an overnight 42 to a 78-ball half-century with 5 fours.
Williamson had begun proceedings by sweeping the first ball of the day from Murphy for four and again looked in imperious form. But Gloucestershire made a breakthrough with the total on 268 as du Plooy fell lbw to Taylor to end a partnership of 151.
The lunch score was 275 for four, with Williamson unbeaten on 127. The former Gloucestershire player brought the 300 up with a pulled four off Zaman Akhter and progressed serenely to 150 off 176 balls, with 18 fours and 2 sixes.
Ryan Higgins, also facing his former county, produced some meaty pull shots in progressing to 29 before edging an attempted drive off left-arm spinner Graeme van Buuren through to wicketkeeper James Bracey to make the score 323 for five.
With two runs added, Williamson’s superb knock came to an end in tame fashion when he miscued a full toss from off-spinner Murphy to Cameron Bancroft at short mid-on. He had faced 183 deliveries and batted for four hours and 21 minutes, producing an array of sweetly-timed shots, particularly through the off side.
Murphy had toiled away without reward up to that point, but struck again two balls later as Joe Cracknell pushed forward without making contact and was pinned lbw. At 325 for seven, Middlesex were in danger of failing to make the most of their advantage.
That prospect was dispelled by Geddes and Hollman, who added 66 up to the tea interval. Gloucestershire delayed taking the new ball until the 89th over to persist with spin and Geddes greeted it by pulling a six off Taylor.
Hollman began the final session by raising 400 with an off-driven four off Taylor. The landmark was reached in the 99th over, leaving Middlesex 11 more to clinch maximum batting points.
That did not appear a problem on a pitch which despite its strange appearance – shaved at both ends – was proving straightforward to bat on. But, with the total advanced to 413, Zaman Akhter was introduced from the College Lawn End and the seamer’s first delivery saw Geddes pop up a simple catch to mid-wicket.
The Middlesex man looked to the skies in disbelief before departing. But Hollman was in full flow, reaching an 81-ball fifty and celebrating with a pulled six off Josh Shaw.
Gloucestershire claimed a third bowling point when Tom Helm fell leg before to Murphy for 13 in the 108th over with his side still eight runs short of 450. Hollman edged them closer, but Akhter then clean bowled last man Noah Cornwall to end the innings.
Gloucestershire were left with 21 overs to bat in the day and had progressed to 36 without loss when Middlesex turned to spin and Josh De Caires bowled Ben Charlesworth shouldering arms for 18 with his first delivery from the College Lawn End.
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.
Gloucestershire Men
Middlesex Men
