Gloucestershire County Cricket League Division Three

Rockhampton seconds v Frocester thirds

GOING into the game with three wins from three games, Rockhampton seconds were keen to keep their one hundred per cent record in tact as they took on what was looking to be one of the tougher games of the season against Frocester thirds.

On what looked to be a very good batting wicket when Ali Downey called right at the toss he had no hesitation in putting the rams into the field in order to hopefully build some scoreboard pressure later on in the game.

Chris Pearce and William Brisco opened up with the ball keeping the scoring rate low in the opening 10 overs, but failing to break the opening partnership.

The introduction of spin brought about the first wicket with James Hancox picking up the wicket of Ewan Gegg for a valiant score of 34. The age old saying of ‘one brings two’ held out as Frocester’s number three then fell into the trap of playing for the turn of Hancox only to see his stumps dislodged.

The Rams bowlers managed to control the scoring in the middle overs while taking wickets as Frocester looked to press on, Senior and Spyvee added a strong partnership in the later overs to push the score up to 207 their allotted 45 overs.

The chase got off to a flying start as both Collins and White both found the boundary rope at regular. However, both cheaply gave their wickets away as Rockhampton were reduced from 50-0 to 76-4 in the space of five overs.

This brought the partnership of ‘young guns’ Cullimore and Brisco to the crease. In a 116 run stand which saw both of their scores go past fifty, they clawed Rockhampton back into the game and at 193-4 needing only 14 runs off the last three overs victory seemed imminent.

But the fairytale ending was not to be as Brisco was bowled playing a rash shot and Cullimore being run out not three balls later.

But the cool experienced heads of skipper Douds and Hopkins got the Rams over the line for the win.