ECB Women's County Championship Division 3

Gloucestershire Women 81- 5 Scotland Women 80 all out

Gloucestershire won by 5 wickets

GLOUCESTERSHIRE produced a high class performance with the ball and in the field to defeat Scotland by five wickets.

After winning the toss Gloucestershire struck in the first over with when Maria Fowler took a tumbling catch at cover off Danielle Gibson (Dumbleton) to dismiss Annette Drummond for 0.

The 15-year-old then reduced the visitors to 15-2 when she had the other opener, Rachel Scholes caught at mid off by Cirencester's Eve Alder.

Scotland rallied to 46 before Naomi Forecast (Bristol Phoenix) took a catch at square leg off Mollie Robbins (1-17) (Hanham).

Gloucestershire spinners Bhavi Devchand and Charlie Phillips (Bath) then put a stranglehold on the Scottish batters.

Australian Devchand bowled with great control to take 3-17 from her 10. She trapped Kari Anderson LBW for 17, had Rae (4) caught by Gibson at short extra before having Katie McGill (1) stumped by Laura Marshall (Bristol Phoenix) to leave Scotland on 62-6.

Phillips (2-11) then bowled Lorna Jack for 10 to leave Scotland real trouble at 62-7.

Kathryn White and Abi Aitken rallied to take the total to 80. But another wicket for Phillips and two more for the returning Gibson (4-17) - including an inswiging Yorker that knocked Alice Baldwin’s leg stump out – saw the visitors all out for 80 In reply Gloucestershire started positively with Abby Evans, back from university in Florida, and Alice Hill (both Bristol Phoenix) putting on 19 before Hill was caught at mid on for 6.

Devchand then struck two boundaries through point before being trapped LBW for 8 to leave Gloucestershire on 29-2 in the 9th over.

Evans and captain Charlie Walker then batted intelligently together, with Walker hitting three well struck boundaries off spinner Anderson. The introduction of Priyanaz Chatterji proved decisive as she bowled Walker for 15 with her first ball.

Gibson hit a beautiful on-drive down the ground and dispatched a full toss over mid wicket before being bowled by Scholes for 9 with the total on 68.

Evans and Naomi Forecast took the scores level before Evans was caught at point for a determined and important 21 from 62 balls. A wide in the next over gave Gloucestershire a a 5 wicket win in the 24th over.

Coach Steve Dent commented “We were excellent with the ball today, backed up by some good catching and great ground fielding. Our spinners were high class, bowling with excellent control and once again Dani Gibson took early wickets and then blew away the tail with another top spell of bowling. Our chase was carried out confidently and it was great to have Abby back in the team to provide some solidity at the top of the order. This is a great win for us as Scotland are regarded as one of the stronger teams in the division.”

Gloucestershire are next in action against Durham at Durham City CC on Sunday May 29