Ollie Price century places Gloucestershire in command in opposition to Derbyshire
Gloucestershire xxx for x (O. Price xx) vs Derbyshire
Ollie Price‘s third first-class century put Gloucestershire in a powerful place on the opening day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match with Derbyshire on the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol.
The 22-year-old adopted up Championship lots of in opposition to Yorkshire and Worcestershire this season with a career-best 125 not out, receiving wonderful help from captain Graeme van Buuren (78) in a fifth-wicket stand of 157, which helped their facet shut on 333 for six.
Anuj Dal was probably the most profitable Derbyshire bowler with three for 42 from 16 overs. But it was a draining day within the subject for the guests in energy-sapping warmth.
Gloucestershire, who gave a first-class debut to 22-year-old Exeter-born leg-spinner Ed Middleton, opted to bat first, regardless of initially sultry, overcast situations. The resolution regarded justified when Ben Charlesworth and Chris Dent took the entire to 32 from the primary seven overs with solely the odd alarm.
Sam Connors bowled 4 tight overs from the Ashley Down Road End for simply seven runs, however new signing Pat Brown struggled to seek out the suitable line and conceded 21 from his opening three overs.
The floodlights have been already on when simply half an hour into the match the umpires thought of the sunshine too poor for play to proceed. Shortly afterwards rain began to fall and shortly the heavy covers have been introduced on.
Thirteen overs have been misplaced both facet of an early lunch earlier than play resumed at 1pm. Batting situations quickly improved, with more and more vibrant sunshine, and Dent, unbeaten on eight earlier than the break, performed extra aggressively.
The skilled left-hander had moved comfortably to 41, off 72 balls, with six fours, earlier than edging a back-foot defensive shot off Luis Reece, in his first over, by way of to wicketkeeper Brooke Guest.
The breakthrough ended a gap stand of 80 within the twentieth over. Left-arm seamer Reece struck once more in his second over when Charlesworth, on 30, regarded to play into the leg facet and received a forefront which carried to Wayne Madsen at second slip.
At 85 for 2, Gloucestershire wanted to rebuild. Price and James Bracey did so to good impact, including 43 in 12 overs earlier than Dal pierced Bracey’s apparently immaculate defensive stroke and bowled him for 23.
Price had proven his confidence with an early reverse-sweep for 4 shortly after off-spinner Alex Thomson had been launched from the Ashley Down Road End. Miles Hammond received off the mark with an edged boundary to 3rd man off Dal and by tea the pair had put collectively a fourth-wicket stand of 33, taking the entire to 161 for 3 from 42 overs.
Brown had figures of none for 36 from six overs on the interval. But the previous Worcestershire seamer quickly notched his first Derbyshire wicket when Hammond prime edged a short-arm pull shot and skyed a catch to Guest, departing for 21.
He was the fourth member of Gloucestershire prime order to lose his wicket, having made a promising begin and at 169 for 4 the hosts wanted stability. Price provided it and moved to his fifth Championship half-century of the season with a two by way of the covers off Brown, having confronted 71 balls and hit eight fours.
Skipper van Buuren was quickly busily milking singles whereas dispatching the occasional unhealthy ball to the boundary, serving to to construct a half-century stand in 14 overs with Price in what was now wonderful early night sunshine.
Price laced his innings with some luxurious straight drives, whereas van Buuren reached a 68-ball fifty together with his second six, lofted excessive over large long-on off Thomson. By then Gloucestershire had bagged a primary batting level and have been seeking to speed up in opposition to a tiring bowling assault.
The hundred partnership was introduced up by a Price two off Conners, which took him into the eighties. A sequence of sweeps and cuts off spinners Thomson and Mark Watt noticed him attain three figures off 155 balls, together with his thirteenth 4, handsomely struck off Thomson.
Price then moved previous his earlier career-best rating of 115. Dal ended van Buuren’s enterprising knock by bowling him with lower than 4 overs left within the day and, with the second new ball, had Zafar Gohar caught behind to raise Derbyshire spirits.