Gloucestershire dramatically deny Glamorgan record run chase
Three thrilling matches went down to the wire to draw the latch on this high summer window of Championship cricket. Glamorgan tied with Gloucestershire in an astonishing match at Cheltenham, Glamorgan falling just short of what would have been a world-record run chase of 593.
Jamie McIlroy, at No 11, needed one from the final ball, but instead edged Ajeet Singh Dale to James Bracey who took a flying catch in ungloved hand. Sam Northeast, the Glamorgan captain, top-scored with a brilliant 187, Marnus Labuschagne made 119, and there was an unbeaten 43 from Mason Crane at the death, but it wasn’t quite enough.
Tom Abell polished off a golden chase of 410 with four successive boundaries as he guided Somerset to a five-wicket win over Warwickshire with 152. He was aided by Tom Banton (81), James Rew (57) and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (49). There were four overs to spare.
Liam Dawson’s cameo 56, off 28 balls, turned Hampshire’s tricky chase of 179 in 31 overs on its head on an overcast Southampton evening. Ben Compton and Harry Finch had earlier made life tricky for Hampshire, but Kent go into the break without a Championship win since May 3.
After the fireworks on Tuesday, Jimmy Anderson’s (possible) final day in his faded red rose cap was a quieter affair. With on off weather, and a small, if loyal, crowd, he took only one more wicket as an excellent century from Nottinghamshire’s Joe Clarke blunted a tired Lancashire attack on a tricky pitch.
Tom Lawes grabbed four wickets to help Surrey to a 145-run win over an Essex side hampered by the loss of Jordan Cox on day one. A crowd of 13,706 came through the turnstiles, a record for a Championship match at the Oval in the 21st century. Surrey have a 23-point cushion over second-placed Somerset, and there they will stay until the conkers are almost ready to fall – the next round starts on August 22.
Till August 22, goodbye!
That’s the way to do it! A humdinger of a round of games – three thrilling finishes and Jimmy Anderson’s metronomically marvellous return to action at Southport. Thanks as always for your company, and messages above and below the line. We’ll be back in late August with Surrey looking down on the rest – until then, good night and have a lovely summer.
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