Gloucestershire Under 15 Girls v Wales Under 15 Girls (at Briton Ferry Steel CC)
ECB U15 County Championship A Division, Group 4
Gloucestershire 178-9 (40 overs)
Wales 78 all out (21.2 overs)
Gloucestershire won by 100 runs

Gloucestershire Under 15 Girls enjoyed two comprehensive wins in a week to move joint top of their county championship group.

Against Somerset Isabel Carey (Frenchay) put in a superb all-round performance, scoring 77 and taking 3-16 as Gloucestershire cruised to a 105-run victory.

Batting first, Gloucestershire lost Chloe Tingle (11) (Ross) early on, caught and bowled by Niamh Holland but fought back with a 76-run partnership between Carey and clubmate Sarah Walsh who made a patient 12 before she was run out with the score on 101.

Zoe Dibble (Corse and Staunton) fell for a duck but Carey continued to score freely, making the lion’s share of the runs in a fourth-wicket stand of 44 with Bea Ellis (11) (Charlton Kings). Both players fell in quick succession, Carey for her highest county score of 77 off 97 balls with eight fours.

With the score on 161-5 and two new batters at the crease Somerset could have been forgiven for thinking this was their chance to finish off the Gloucestershire innings.

However Olivia Freer (Cheltenham) and captain Cerys King (Corse and Staunton) had other ideas, putting on an unbroken partnership of 76 to guide their side to a commanding 237-5 from their 40 overs. Freer finished unbeaten on 29 (from 31 balls) and King made 24 not out.

In reply Gloucestershire chose to open with off-spinner Carey and the decision paid dividends as she picked up two early wickets.

Somerset bounced back with a third wicket stand of 55. But when Tingle made the breakthrough it sparked a collapse as the visitors lost their last seven wickets for 49 runs. Tingle (2-10) Ellis (3-19) were the pick of the bowlers as Somerset were bowled out for 132.

Earlier that week Gloucestershire beat Wales by 100 runs at Briton Ferry Steel CC. Dibble made 30 and King top-scored with 47 not out as Gloucestershire made 178-9 from their 40 overs.

In reply Wales put on 27 for the first wicket but were blown away by the Gloucestershire attack as they stumbled to 78 all out. Wickets were shared around with Alice Mundy (2-22) (Fairford), Phoebe Bradford (2-10) (Cam), Ellis (2-5) and Alex Taylor (2-5) (Marshfield) all taking wickets.

Gloucestershire Under 14 Boys v Wiltshire Under 14 Boys (at Lydney CC)
ECB U14 Cup Group 3
Gloucestershire 270 all out (44.4 overs)
Wiltshire 169 all out (43.4 overs)
Gloucestershire won by 101 runs

Charlie Brennan (Bristol) scored his maiden county century as Gloucestershire Under 14s bounced back from last week’s defeat at Berkshire with a resounding 101-run win over Wiltshire.

The all-rounder blasted 103 from just 59 balls with 14 fours and five sixes to take his side from a precarious 83-4 to a sizeable total of 270.

Dumbleton pair Ryan Kilmister (4-19) and Will Gilderson (4-43) then shared eight wickets between them as Wilts were bowled out for 169.

Earlier Gloucestershire won the toss in perfect batting conditions at Lydney CC. Praneel Choughule (14) (Thornbury) started in positive fashion and struck three early boundaries before he was run out in the fifth over with the score on 21. His opening partner Nick Schubach (Dumbleton) was bowled by Kimber in the next over as Gloucestershire slipped to 22-2.

They recovered with a partnership of 52 between Joe Durie (23) (Old Bristolians Westbury) and Alex Oliver (25) (Tewkesbury) but after good starts both fell to Ashman to leave Gloucestershire on 87-4.

The dismissal of Oliver brought Brennan to the crease to join George Driver-Dickerson (Frampton).

Together the pair provided a perfect demonstration of how to build a partnership which each playing to their strengths. Driver-Dickerson was resolute in defence and rotated the strike well while Brennan capitalised on any bad bowling with some exceptional clean-hitting.

He rode his luck, being dropped a number of times but went on to make a deserved first county hundred and his third score of over 50 in the last four matches.

After 34 overs Gloucestershire had moved on to 230-4 and were eyeing up a score well in excess of 300. But Wiltshire had other ideas. A tiring Brennan finally skied one too many and was caught by Fenton off Kimber before Dickerson fell five runs later after clipping the same bowler to square leg for an intelligent 49. From here Gloucestershire collapsed to 270 all out, losing their last six wickets for 37 runs.

This late flurry of wickets changed the momentum of the match and Wiltshire went into the break confident of chasing down their target.

Gloucestershire opened with the spin of Kilmister and pace of Gilderson and the two bowled well in tandem.

Kilmister opened with a maiden and picked up a wicket in his second over when Ashman found Brennan at mid-off. At the other Gilderson made it uncomfortable for the visiting batters, bowling with genuine pace and hostility.

He struck three times in his opening spell, clean bowling Kershaw and McDougall and getting Giddings out caught behind after top edging a vicious bouncer.

Kilmister grew more threatening the longer his spell continued and a double wicket maiden in his ninth over reduced Wiltshire to 61-7.

By this stage Gloucestershire sensed an early victory but they were thwarted by some resolute batting by their opponent’s lower order.

The visitors added 44 for their eighth wicket before Gilderson returned to remove Whiteley for 22. But they dug in again with a ninth wicket stand of 50 between Fenton (18) and Goodwin who made an excellent counter-attacking 65.

Both players finally fell to the leg spin of Oliver as Gloucestershire finally wrapped up the win in the 44th over.

Gloucestershire Under 15 Boys v Somerset Under 15 Boys (at Taunton School)
ECB U15 Cup Group 4A
Somerset 201 all out (44.1 overs)
Gloucestershire 89-6 (20 overs) chasing a revised total of 117
Somerset won by 27 runs on DLS method

Gloucestershire Under 15s lost by 27 runs to Somerset in a rain affected match at Taunton School.

Chasing a revised target of 117 in 20 overs following thunderstorms, the visitors finished on 89-6 with no one able to make a significant total to build the innings around.

Dan Collins (17*) (Poulton) and Hamdi Saleem (13*) (Downend) shared the biggest partnership of the innings – an unbeaten 27 – but were left with too much to do after Gloucestershire had fallen behind the run rate.

Earlier the visitors threatened to blow Somerset away after reducing them to 70-7 with an impressive display of seam bowling. Having put on 32 for the first wicket, the hosts lost four wickets for two runs as opening pair Alex Wilson (3-17) (Twyford House) and Saleem (1-43) did the damage.

Somerset continued to lose wickets at regular intervals with Oliver Wood (Cirencester) picking up two wickets and Max Shepherd (1-34) (Bourton Vale) also chipping in.

But from 70-7 the home side launched an unlikely comeback courtesy of an eighth-wicket stand of 92 between William Chesterman and Alfie Ogborne. Chesterman was the aggressor, going on to score 104 from 111 deliveries, while Ogborne supplied gutsy support with a knock of 27 from 61.

Skipper Kunal Barman (1-10) (Old Bristolians Westbury) eventually made the breakthrough, clean bowling Ogborne with the score on 162. But with Chesterman in full flow Somerset continued to build their total before Wood (4-46) returned to claim the last two wickets – including that of Chesterman.

Following the rain Gloucestershire were left needing 117 from 20 overs. Will Naish (Frocester) struck two early boundaries before being trapped LBW by Ogborne for 12.

Michael Burger (Chepstow) made 18 but struggled to get going as the run rate began to climb. From 37-1 Gloucestershire lost five wickets for 25 runs to leave Collins and Saleem with a difficult task to try and salvage the game. The visitors eventually finished well short on 89-6.

Gloucestershire Under 19 v Kings College, Taunton (at Kings College)
Friendly
Kings College 245-9 (50 overs)
Gloucestershire 249-6 (49.1 overs)
Gloucestershire won by four wickets

Ollie Price (Great and Little Tew) made a century as Gloucestershire U19s beat Kings College Taunton by four wickets.

Opening the innings, Price made his second county hundred of the season to help his side chase down their target of 245 with five balls to spare.

Earlier seamer Jack Worgan (Corse and Staunton) picked up 4-38 to keep Kings under 250 despite opening batsman Banton made 116 for the hosts.

In reply Price put on 62 with Milo Ayres (31) (Brislington) for the first wicket. He also shared in a partnership of 60 with his brother Tom (29) for the third wicket as Gloucestershire moved to 155-3 with 17.1 overs to go.

Ollie Price began to go through the gears and received good support form Matt Brewer (19) (Bristol). Both players fell before the end but Joe Dryell (12*)(Downend) and George Pritchard (10*) (Cheltenham) gave the innings some late impetus to see their side home.