Gloucestershire Under 17 Boys v Warwickshire Under 17 Boys (at Cheltenham College)
Friendly
Warwickshire 223 all out
Gloucestershire 176 all out
Warwickshire won by 47 runs

Gloucestershire Under 17s were beaten by Warwickshire in a frustrating game of two halves at Cheltenham College.

Despite an excellent unbeaten 85 from Thornbury’s Ed Webb and some tight bowling by the Gloucestershire spinners, the under 17s fell away and ended up well short of the modest Warwickshire target.

Warwickshire won the toss and chose to bat on what looked to be a superb batting track.

Gloucestershire gained an early breakthrough with a fortuitous run out on a free hit. But Warwickshire opener Will Rigg made the most of the pitch making the game’s highest score of 88. He was supported well by Mousely (46).

The flow of runs was stemmed by some tight bowling by the Gloucestershire spinners including Ben Parker 1-34 (Winterbourne), Chad Trainor 3-53 (Frocester) and Kiran Chakraborty 2-33 (Corse and Staunton). There were also some excellent catches and three run outs as Warwickshire were restricted to a modest total of 223.

In response Gloucestershire appeared to be making light work of the total with openers Milo Ayres (Brislington) and Webb (Thornbury) going hard out of the blocks to reach 67 from the first 10 overs.

But when Ayres fell for 46 with the team on 73 things started to go downhill.

The Gloucestershire batters struggled against the visiting spin pair who took five wickets for a combined 48 runs through the middle overs.

Webb continued his resistance and compiled an excellent 85 not out but with no one able to stay with him Gloucestershire fell 47 short of the target.

Coach Tim Hancock said: “There were some very good positives to take from the game, the fielding and bowling display was excellent with some good catches held and tight bowling from the spinners. Bowling out this side on what was a superb batting pitch for such a modest total was a great start. The two openers got us off to a great start and Ed Webb batted brilliantly. However there is still a lot of work to do from the other batters particularly in playing the spinners.”


Gloucestershire Under 15 Girls v Somerset Under 15 Girls (at Wellington School)
ECB Women’s Under 15 County Championship
Gloucestershire 156 all out (38.2 overs)
Somerset 110 all out (30.1 overs)
Gloucestershire won by 46 runs

Gloucestershire Under 15s girls hit the ground running in their first match of 2017 with a 46-run win over local rival Somerset.

Batting first Gloucestershire fell to 9-1 but Natasha Wraith (Frenchay) led the fightback with a commanding 42 that included seven fours.

She was well supported by the middle order but it took 23 not out from Molly Bliss (Frenchay) to help the visitors to a competitive total of 156 before they were bowled out in the penultimate over.

In reply, Gloucestershire struck early with skipper Maisie Hunkin 2-13(Frenchay) dismissing Somerset opener Jollife with the score on three.

Somerset fought back with two good partnerships before Maddie Hughes (Frenchay) got a breakthrough dismissing Alice Dymond for 19, caught by Hunkin.

Somerset were then put under pressure by Ellen Harris 4-6 (Frenchay) who took two wickets in her first over, and followed it up with two more in her second including topscorer Harriet Dimdore-Miles (24). With the damage done the Gloucestershire bowlers shared the remaining wickets around as they bowled their opponents out for 110 in the 31st over.

Gloucestershire Under 15 Boys v Cheltenham College Under 15 (at Cheltenham College)
Friendly
Cheltenham College 220-5 (40 overs)
Gloucestershire 220-8 (40 overs)
Match Tied

Gloucestershire Under 15s started their season with a thrilling tie against Cheltenham College.

Needing six to win off the final over Ollie O’Neil (Aston Ingham) brought it down to the final ball but was caught at cover off the bowling of Harry Jinks, attempting to hit the winning runs.

Earlier the home side won the toss and chose to bat on an excellent wicket.

Playing against his county team-mates College captain Seb Blake (Cheltenham) kickstarted the College innings, with a positive 80 at nearly a run a ball, which included 14 boundaries. The right-hander punished any wayward balls and moved his feet well against the spinners.

His opening partner, Max Sutton (27), played an invaluable supporting role to Blake as the pair shared a partnership of 116 before the former was caught behind for 27 off Timmy Niblett 1-35 (Hatherley and Reddings).

Blake pushed on, riding his luck as he was dropped at deep square leg. The opener continued to punish Gloucestershire before lofting one to Tom Quinlan (Bristol) off the bowling of Alex Russell (Charlton Kings). The leg-spinner then dismissed Jinks and Will Stanton in quick succession to leave the College wobbling on 131-4. But they recovered through James Boyle (24) and Gus Milton (46 not out) who both scored their runs at quicker than a run a ball to set Gloucestershire 221 to win.

In reply Gloucestershire opened with Ludo Rhys-Williams (Lechlade) and James Humphreys (Dumbleton), who both looked comfortable as they brought up a 50 partnership.

With the score on 79 Humphreys (25) became the first wicket to fall – and the sixth in the match to fall to spin – as he lofted a ball to Harry Stewart off the bowling of Boyle (1-29).

Rhys-Williams carried on in confident mood and reached his half century before falling for 59 (80 balls, 10 fours), caught by Gus Milton from the bowling of Ed Ferris.

At 120-2 Henry Findlay-Wilson joined Saxon Campbell (both Cheltenham) and the pair put on 32 before county team-mate Blake – the seventh bowler used by the college – entered the attack to devastating effect.

First a miss-hit from skipper Findlay-Wilson (18) was easily snapped up by Jinks before Quinlan (9) became Blake’s second victim soon after. His replacement Joe Millard only lasted a ball to leave Gloucestershire on 187-5.

Blake continued his dominance of the game by removing Campbell (64) and the pressure was now firmly on the county.

Requiring seven-an-over, Cyrus Shafi (Bristol YMCA) took charge and hit two maximums to relieve the pressure a little before being caught off Blake (4-32), leaving six to get from the last over.

The umpire signalled a wide from the first ball to make it five needed from six balls. A dot ball from Jinks made it five from five. O’Neill then nudged a two but two dots made it three needed from the final two balls. O’Neill forced another two to tie the scores but succumbed on the final ball as the game finished in a thrilling tie.

Gloucestershire U10 Boys v Gwent Under 10s (at Moreton-in-Marsh CC)
Friendly
Gloucestershire 159-5 (40 overs)
Gwent 143 all out (39 overs)
Gloucestershire won by 16 runs

Gloucestershire Under 10s opened their season with a hard-fought 16-run victory over Gwent Under 10s at a sun-drenched Moreton-in-Marsh.

Dumbleton’s Lewis Rollinson scored a magnificent 75 not out and took a wicket on his county debut as the home side bowled their opponents out for 143 in the penultimate over having set them 160 to win.

Home skipper Jamie Brooks (Bristol YMCA) won the toss and elected to bat with Tom Stanley (Slaughters) and Cyrus Shafi (Bristol YMCA) adding 19 before Stanley was bowled for six.

Brooks and Iwan Price (Thornbury) both came and went cheaply with Gwent opener Taylor dismissing all three batsmen. With the score on 25-3 Shafi was joined by Rollinson and they rebuilt with an excellent partnership of 73. The pair ran singles well and dispatched loose deliveries to the boundary as they moved the score on to 98 after 24 overs.

Shafi was then bowled for a patient 32 but with Rollinson in full flow and receiving useful support from Spencer Gammon (Whitchurch) Gloucestershire continued to make good progress. The pair added 48 for the fifth wicket, before Gammon fell for 15.

Rollinson reached his 50 with a late cut to the third man boundary and went on to score 75 not out with 11 boundaries as his side finished on 159-5.

In reply Henry Trotman 1-14 (Winterbourne) got an early breakthrough but Gwent fought back through Parsons (45) and Lloyd (34) who added 61 for the second wicket in just 11 overs.

Dan Lambert 1-14 (Long Ashton) then dismissed Lloyd and gradually the bowlers gained control. As the required rate rose to six per over Ben Long (Rockhampton) captured a wicket and then three run outs saw the visitors slip from 103-3 to 134-8. Now in full control Gloucestershire completed the job in the 39th over, bowling Gwent out for 143 to win by 16 runs.


Gloucestershire U14 Boys v Millfield School (at Millfield School)
Friendly
Millfield 269-8 (45 overs)
Gloucestershire 270-7 (43 overs)
Gloucestershire won by 3 wickets

A superb innings of 85 from Michael Burger (Parkend) and a quickfire 40 not out from just 22 balls by Fuzael Ahmed (Bristol YMCA) helped Gloucestershire secure a three-wicket win over Millfield School in a high-scoring encounter.

Chasing 270 to win the visitors got over the line with two overs to spare after a fantastic run-chase.

Earlier Gloucestershire lost the toss and found it hard to make a breakthrough as the home side reached 83-0 after 18 overs. But a run out from Kunal Barman (Old Bristolians Westbury) and a wicket for Max Shepherd 1-43 (Bourton Vale) brought the end of both openers, leaving Millfield on 92-2.

The visitors sensed a chance to get on top but were repelled by a dominant partnership of 118 between Silk (31) and Baird (112).

With the score on 220 the return of opening bowler Hamdi Saleem 3-30 (Downend) brought the wicket of Silk, clean bowled. But with Baird now in full flow the wicket did little to stem the Millfield momentum. However, when he fell to Oliver Wood 2-52 (Cirencester) in the 42nd over Gloucestershire fought back with a flurry of late wickets as the home side finished on 269-8 from their 45 overs.

In reply, Shepherd (23) and Burger got Gloucestershire off to a brisk start, reaching 63 before the former fell in the 11th over. Barman (10) came and went soon after but Ben Markwick (Charlton Kings) on his county debut added a useful 37 from 36 balls in a stand of 68 with Burger to give Gloucestershire hope.

But as Markwick departed with 121 needed from 18.3 overs Millfield still looked favourites.

Max Trotman (Winterbourne) added an unselfish 22 from 16 balls to keep Gloucestershire hopes alive but his dismissal sparked a mini collapse as the visitors lost four wickets for 26 runs. These included the wicket of Burger who had valiantly battled a foot injury throughout his innings of 85 (94 balls, 12 fours, two sixes).

With Burger gone Gloucestershire were faced with the tall order of needing 61 runs from just 50 balls and two new batsmen at the crease.

But playing with real intent Saleem (21 not out) and Ahmed (40 not out) took the attack to their opponents and helped their side romp home to an excellent victory with 12 balls remaining.


District Round-Up

Under 12s
Stroud and South Gloucestershire Under 12s coasted to a 42-run win over Bristol Under 12s after bowling the away side out for just 119 at Frocester.

Batting first, a composed 52 not out from Carsons and Mangotsfield middle-order batsman George Britton helped his side set the visitors 162 to win. Britton was well-supported by Owen Peacock 26 (Bedminster) and Tom King, 19 off 14 balls, (Carsons & Mangotsfield) as Jake Smith 1-19 (Bedminster) and Archie Joslin 2-5 (Old Bristolians Westbury) impressed for Bristol.

In reply, Eric Steady with 22 (Lansdowne) and Barney Poulson, 18, (Stoke Bishop) helped Bristol reach 40-1 but from there they collapsed to 85-7 as Harry Ahearne, 2-12, (Cirencester) and Sai Kenche, 1-11, (Thornbury) picked up wickets. From here Bristol never fully recovered and ended up being bowled out for 119.

In the other Under 12 district match Cheltenham and Cotswolds beat Gloucester and the Forest of Dean by three wickets after chasing down their target of 141 with 5.1 overs to spare.

Under 13s
Cheltenham and Cotswolds were also victorious in the Under 13 competition as they overcame Stroud and South Gloucestershire by five wickets. Skipper Arthur Kane (Dumbleton) led the way with 81 as his side successfully chased their target of 174. Other notable performances included 57 for Stroud and South Gloucestershire opener George Driver-Dickinson (Frampton-On-Severn) and a three-wicket haul for Cheltenham and Cotswolds’ Charlie Ardron, 3-29 (Bourton Vale).

The other Under 13 match saw Bristol record a six-wicket win over Gloucester and the Forest of Dean.

Under 15
Nathan Rose-Innes (Cheltenham) took 4-29 and scored 18 as the Gloucestershire Under 15 Development XI beat Millfield School by five wickets.

Jock Catto (Frocester) took 3-27 and Rose-Innes cleaned up the tail as Millfield fell from 130-5 to 160 all out.

In reply the majority of the Gloucestershire Development top order got starts but were unable to go on. In the end they were indebted to an unbeaten 50-run partnership between Samuel Long, 19 not out, (Rockhampton) and Adam Hares (Bedminster) who smashed 29 off 25 balls as Gloucestershire completed their victory in the 41st over.