In their opening Metro Bank One-Day Cup match at the Cheltenham Festival, Gloucestershire defeated Derbyshire by a comfortable margin of six wickets thanks to the in-form Ollie Price’s first List-A hundred.
As Gloucestershire chased down a target of 299 with 6.4 overs left, Price carved out an impressive 116 not out and shared in stands of 142 with debutant Harry Tector and 108 with Jack Taylor for the third and fifth wickets, respectively.
Taylor finished unbeaten on 51, and Tector, a 23-year-old Ireland international signed for just one game, made the most of his one chance to wow a sizable Festival crowd by scoring an astounding 86 from 69 balls.
After Derbyshire lost the toss and posted 298 for 9, Pakistani batsman Haider Ali scored the most runs with 82 and the opener, Luis Reece, struck 50. Paul van Meekeren took 4 for 66 wickets and Zaman Akhter took 3 for 56, which helped Gloucestershire maintain control.
Gloucestershire’s response, which had to be scored at 5.98 per over, got off to a bad start when openers Ben Charlesworth and Chris Dent were caught by Sam Connors in a span of four deliveries from the College Lawn End, bringing the home team’s score down to 16 for 2 in the third over.
Tector, who had just played for Ireland against Scotland in a T20 international three days prior in Edinburgh, handled the difficult circumstances with poise and determination. He scored at a run-a-ball to establish a resolute mood.
At the illustrious old College Ground, the Dubliner took advantage of a short boundary and batted with controlled aggressiveness to raise 50 off 52 balls before tucking into Mark Watt’s sluggish left arm as he pushed the pedal.
By the time David Lloyd ended Tector’s dazzling innings by having him held at mid-on in the 23rd over, after he and Price had put on a 100-run stand in 92 balls, Tector had racked up eight fours and four sixes and had given Gloucestershire the advantage.
Price took it upon himself to complete the task when 141 more runs at 5.2 an over were needed. He reached his hundred off 101 balls, a milestone that was met with a standing ovation from everybody in attendance. James Bracey was dismissed for 23 runs by Alex Thomson, but Taylor stayed in the game long enough to score a 45-ball 50 and prove his comeback.
When it was all said and done, these two were still in the game, with Price having faced 115 deliveries and accumulated 13 fours to maintain his exceptional run of success at the College Ground.
Reece and Harry Came, the opening pair for Derbyshire when they were put in to bat, got off to a flying start, compiling a progressive stand of 71 runs in 11.1 overs. With the new ball, Josh Shaw and Ajeet Singh Dale were costly as the visitors quickly reached 50 from 51 balls.
The openers, who were brutal on anything short or wide, racked up 12 fours and a six while scoring 54 runs in boundaries to knock the wind out of Gloucestershire’s sails. The home side inserted slow left armer Zafar Gohar and seasoned paceman van Meekeren in an effort to put the breaks on because runs were coming too easily.
When Came was bowled by van Meekeren, he had reached 40 off 32 balls and was intent on reaching a half-century. Lloyd’s chip to mid-wicket in a savage five-over stretch of 2 gained 28 made up for Came’s dismissal and provided the breakthrough.
When Zafar produced a wicket maiden in the nineteenth over to reduce the visitors to 101-3, Reece displayed even more abrasiveness by smashing 50 from 58 balls, with eight fours, and a six. However, Reece pulled Zafar to deep backward square.
Haider and Brooke Guest, who had to rebuild the innings, brought the score to 140 for 3 at the midway point after 50 runs in 53 balls. To give their alliance impetus, these two scored 29 runs off just three overs of spin from Ollie Price, with Haider scoring 50 runs in the process. Guest, content to provide a supporting role, made a 48-ball 43 in a stand of 104, which helped Derbyshire get back on track.
Haider and Brooke Guest, who had to rebuild the innings, brought the score to 140 for 3 at the midway point after 50 runs in 53 balls. To give their alliance impetus, these two scored 29 runs off just three overs of spin from Ollie Price, with Haider scoring 50 runs in the process. Guest, content to provide a supporting role, made a 48-ball 43 in a stand of 104, which helped Derbyshire get back on track.
The Pakistani international allowed complacency to set in after straight-driving and pulling Akhter for four and six runs off consecutive balls. He then chipped the same bowler to mid-wicket and left for 80. As a result of his 65 balls faced, eight fours, three sixes, and 65 balls faced, he was Derbyshire’s greatest chance to record a very impressive total.
The final 10 overs produced 69 runs, with Tom Wood scoring 28 and Watt remaining unbeaten, but there was a sense that the visitors could have and could have done better. For their part, van Meekeren and Zafar owe a debt of gratitude to Gloucestershire; the latter bowled an amazing 40 dot balls in just 10 overs, returning figures of 4 for 66 and 1 for 30 respectively.