Taylor-made draw for Gloucs

In-form batsman ensures stalemate

Last updated: 2nd June 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Taylor-made draw for Gloucs

Taylor: made 181 runs in the match

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LV County Championship - Division Two
Gloucester
Gloucestershire 420 (C G Taylor 104, C M Spearman 95, W T S Porterfield 63, J E Anyon 4-86) & 228-8 dec (C G Taylor 77) v Warwickshire 410 (T Frost 144 no, J O Troughton 79, I J Westwood 68)
Gloucestershire (11pts) drew with Warwickshire (10pts)

Gloucestershire batted throughout most of the final day to earn a draw against Warwickshire.

Chris Taylor's 77 allowed the hosts to finish at 228-8 in their second innings, an overall lead of 238, having been 53-4 at one stage.

Naqqash Tahir (2-30) and Neil Carter (3-42) each took two early wickets to put Gloucestershire in a spot of trouble.

But Taylor, who made 104 in the first innings, shared half-century stands with Marcus North (34) and Steve Snell (33) to extinguish any prospect of defeat.

At the start of the day Warwickshire quickly lost their last two wickets to be bowled out for 410 in their first innings.

Wicketkeeper Tony Frost was left stranded on 144 not out, his highest first-class score.

Gloucestershire take 11 points from the draw, while Warwickshire earn 10.

Day three

Warwickshire wicketkeeper Tony Frost frustrated Gloucestershire with his fourth first-class century on a drab third day at Archdeacon Meadow.

The 32-year-old, brought out of retirement this season, ground out his ton off 237 balls, with 12 fours, to virtually guarantee a draw in this second division clash.

It enabled his side to reach 399-8 in reply to 420 against a home attack deprived of skipper and strike bowler Jon Lewis because of a shoulder problem.

Frost went on to a career-best 141 not out, receiving good support from Jim Troughton (79), Neil Carter (24), Chris Woakes (26) and Naqqash Tahir (33 not out).

Towards the close, Frost moved passed his previous best, the unbeaten 135 he made against Sussex at Horsham in 2004.

He retired from first class cricket at the end of the 2006 season and for him, at least, this was a day to remember.

Tahir piled on the frustration for Gloucestershire by contributing to an unbroken ninth wicket stand of 83 before bad light brought a merciful release.

No Gloucestershire bowler could summon up much assistance from the Festival pitch, despite mainly overcast conditions, and it was a tedious spectacle for a patient crowd.

Day two

A century partnership between Ian Westwood and Jim Troughton helped to steer Warwickshire away from choppy waters in their County Championship match against Gloucestershire.

Having resumed on 334-6, Gloucestershire reached 420 in their first innings with Chris Taylor going on to complete a century.

Taylor hit 13 fours and a six in his score of 104 before becoming the eighth wicket to fall to a weakened Warwickshire attack.

The Bears were quickly in trouble in their reply as they lost three wickets with only 32 runs on the board.

However Westwood (68) and Troughton (55no) helped to get them back on course with a fourth wicket stand worth exactly 100 before opener Westwood was run out.

Wicketkeeper Tony Frost joined Troughton at the crease and made a dogged 8 not out from 65 balls as the visitors held on for the close.

Day one

Gloucestershire dominated the opening day of their Division One clash with Warwickshire by amassing 334-6 at stumps.

Opener Craig Spearman blazed a typically aggressive 95 off 149 balls, as fellow opener William Porterfield (63) and Chris Taylor (72no) also took a likening to a weak Warwickshire attack.

After winning the toss, captain Jon Lewis had no hesitation in batting on a flat looking track at Archdeacon Meadow.

Spearman and Irishman Porterfield quickly found their rhythm as they tore into openers Naqqash Tahir and County Championship debutant Chris Woakes.

Powerful New Zealander Spearman, breezed past fifty and looked on course for his 31st first class century before he was caught by Jonathan Trott off the bowling of Neil Carter five runs short of the milestone.

Fellow Kiwi Hamish Marshall came and went for one as Tahir cleaned him up for his only wicket of the day.

The introduction of James Anyon back into the Warwickshire attack immediately produced some much needed impetus and he produced a fine spell of bowling to dismiss Marcus North (25), Alex Gidman (0) and the impressive Porterfield in the space of just five runs.

A sixth-wicket partnership of 118 between Taylor and wicket-keeper Steve Snell handed the initiative back to the hosts before Anyon picked up Snell for 45 to finish the day with fine figures of 4-56.

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