Chris Dent century the spotlight in inevitable Cheltenham draw
Gloucestershire 402 for six dec (Dent 113, O. Price 84) drew with Glamorgan 450 for six dec (Root 98, Cooke 86*, Lloyd 81, Carlson 76) and 62 for 0
Chris Dent’s twenty first first-class century proved the spotlight of a low-key closing day because the LV= Insurance County Championship match between Gloucestershire and Glamorgan at Cheltenham resulted in an inevitable draw.
With a lot time having been misplaced to rain, together with a third-day washout, there have been solely bonus factors to play for as Gloucestershire superior their first innings from an in a single day 134 for one to 402 for six earlier than declaring.
Experienced opener Dent led the way in which with an assured 113, off 206 balls, with 15 fours, whereas Ollie Price contributed 84, Miles Hammond 57 and James Bracey 60 not out. Leg-spinner Mitch Swepson claimed three of the wickets, however at a price of 142 runs from his 37 overs.
By the time the gamers shook palms at 4.50pm, Glamorgan had made 62 with out loss of their second innings. They took 12 factors from the sport, whereas Gloucestershire needed to accept 11 and stay with out a win within the Championship this season.
Dent was unbeaten on 61 in a single day, with Price on 49. The pair prolonged their second-wicket stand to the century mark earlier than a Price boundary to third-man off Timm van der Gugten took him to fifty off 123 balls, with seven fours.
Soon each batters have been capitalising on the true pitch, Price producing an beautiful on-drive for 4 off James Harris and Dent matching it with a sweetly-timed cowl drive to the boundary off van der Gugten.
The partnership had been prolonged to 171 when Price was caught behind attempting to power a supply from Swepson by means of the off facet. He stood crestfallen on the error, having hit 16 fours, figuring out an ideal probability of 100 had slipped away.
Dent introduced up his first ton of the season with a two to sq. leg off Harris, having confronted 190 deliveries, and added an extra 13 to his rating earlier than miscuing a drive off Zain ul-Hussain to Harris at mid-on.
By then Hammond had signalled his intention to up the scoring charge with 4 fours in transferring to 17. He was joined by debutant Joe Phillips and collectively they took the rating to 261 for 3 at lunch.
Cornishman Phillips had reached 17 in his maiden first-class innings when falling sufferer to the second new ball, bowled seeking to pull a supply from Andy Gorvin. He had confronted 42 balls and hit 3 fours.
Bracey introduced the 300 up by getting off the mark with a sq. pushed boundary off Gorvin earlier than Hammond moved to fifty off 78 balls, with eight boundaries. It was 337 for 5 when he top-edged an tried pull off Harris and Colin Ingram pouched a easy catch at mid-off.
Tom Price made solely 16 earlier than being pinned lbw on the back-foot by Swepson, however Bracey progressed serenely to the eighth half-century of the match, having confronted 62 balls and cracked 8 fours.
There was some unusual cricket as tea approached, Zafar Gohar leaving the final ball earlier than the interval with Gloucestershire needing simply two runs for a fourth batting level. They needed to face three extra balls after the break earlier than Bracey introduced up the 400 and declared instantly, which meant one other ten-minute interruption to play.
The house facet then set about avoiding a penalty for a gradual over-rate, which was plus 4 on the finish of the Glamorgan first innings. Spinners Gohar and Price got the brand new ball and fielders scampered between overs, enjoying catch-up.
Gloucestershire rattled by means of 16 overs in 39 minutes to ensure they claimed their full entitlement of factors and it appeared virtually incidental that Glamorgan openers ul Hussan and David Lloyd produced an array of attacking pictures within the late afternoon sunshine.
Lloyd was unbeaten on 38 and ul Hassan 24 when the second declaration of the day ended a sport ruined by the moist climate.