Hammond’s unbeaten 109 leads Gloucestershire into semi-finals

Gloucestershire 181 for two (Hammond 109*) beat Lancashire 177 (Aspinwall 47) by eight wickets

Lancashire’s bowlers merely had no reply as Hammond helped himself to 6 sixes and 11 fours in a whirlwind 85-ball knock, whereas Price contributed 39 in 43 balls to assist Gloucestershire safe a last-four showdown in opposition to Leicestershire on the Grace Road subsequent Tuesday.

Hammond’s innings was made all of the extra outstanding as a result of he has spent many of the final month working drinks for Birmingham Phoenix within the Hundred. He didn’t make an look for all of them season, although was launched to play two group video games for Gloucestershire.

Gloucestershire’s bowlers had earlier set-up a fifth consecutive win within the 50-over competitors, dismissing the Lancashire for an entirely insufficient 177 in 44.3 overs. David Payne, Paul van Meekeren, Anwar Ali and Price all claimed two wickets.

Given that rain was forecast later within the day, Keaton Jennings’ resolution to bat first raised quite a lot of eyebrows contained in the Seat Unique Stadium, and Lancashire’s captain should absolutely have been questioning his judgment when his facet slumped to 90 for 7 inside 24 overs.

Although the sluggish nature of a pitch used 12 days earlier for the go to of Somerset supplied a level of mitigation, there was no excusing the lax method through which the guests contributed to their very own downfall, too many batters falling to ill-judged forcing pictures when the state of affairs demanded circumspection.

At least Jennings didn’t fall into that class, Lancashire’s batting talisman succumbing to a superb supply from Payne, who offered the Gloucestershire assault with a welcome leading edge as he returned from Hundred responsibility with Welsh Fire. Soon after, George Bell nervously edged a catch behind off Tom Price and Dane Villas top-edged a pull to midwicket and fell to van Meekeren whereas the shine remained on the ball.

Ollie Price then lured George Balderson onto the entrance foot and took a simple return catch, whereas George Lavelle was bowled by Anwar Ali by way of an inside edge earlier than rain intervened with Lancashire teetering on 84 for five, their prospects now closely dependent upon opening batter Luke Wells.

But Wells failed so as to add to his 33 runs, trying to play Price to midwicket and being expertly stumped by James Bracey within the first over following the resumption.

And worse adopted when Matthew Hurst performed again to van Meekeren and was pinned lbw in his crease, at which level Lancashire’s recognised batters have been again within the pavilion and Aspinwall and Bailey have been required to choose up the items. In no place to take dangers, these two settled for locating the gaps and working exhausting between the wickets, a method that enabled them to at the least stage a restoration of types.

Having surpassed his earlier highest rating of twenty-two, Aspinwall hoisted Tom Price over midwicket for six in a uncommon present of aggression to deliver up the 50 partnership. But Gloucestershire remained affected person and have been lastly rewarded when Bailey pulled Anwar to midwicket and departed for 29.

Aspinwall scored 47 in 71 balls and dominated a stand of 75 in 17.3 overs with Bailey for the eighth wicket, however fell within the subsequent over, steering a ball from van Meekeren to level and setting off in pursuit of a dangerous single, solely to be run out by Ollie Price.

Jack Morley’s dismissal summed up Lancashire’s innings, the final man providing the meekest of return catches to Payne as Lancashire have been shot out with 5.3 overs unused.

Defending a modest whole, Lancashire wanted to take early wickets, and Bailey obliged when bowling Bracey for 12 within the fourth over with the rating on 21. But any ideas of a spirited fightback have been rapidly extinguished as Hammond and new batter Ollie Price set about reaffirming Gloucestershire’s dominance in a forthright stand that took the sport away from Lancashire.

When seam did not muster a breakthrough, skipper Jennings turned to spin, just for Morley to be severely mauled by Hammond, who struck him for a straight six within the eleventh earlier than plundering 16 off his subsequent over. Hammond’s fifth 4, a reverse-sweep on the expense of Wells, took him to 50 in 45 balls, and he meted out comparable therapy to Balderson, who was hoisted over deep mid-wicket for six as the house facet realised three figures inside 15 overs.

In excellent type, Price scored at nearly a run a ball regardless of taking part in second fiddle to Hammond, who confirmed each intention of finishing the duty in hand earlier than the anticipated early night rain might arrive. By the time Price was caught on the wicket off Bell’s offbreaks, Gloucestershire have been nearly dwelling and dry.

Having eclipsed his earlier highest rating of 95, made in opposition to Sussex in 2019, Hammond raised his hundred by way of 82 balls, straight driving Aspinwall for his ninth 4 to deliver an enthusiastic Bristol crowd to its toes.