By Christopher Martin-Jenkins
First day of four: Warwickshire (127-6) trail Gloucestershire (181) by 54 runs
CURIOUS is the word for an extended first day at Bristol on which Ed Giddins enhanced his prospects of Test selection and Brian Lara, in need of runs and a Warwickshire win if his second coming to Edgbaston is not to end in tears, scored only 16.
Collectively out of form, his batsmen, like too many on both sides, failed not so much to graft as simply to build an innings carefully. It was an approach which had worked well for Tim Hancock and Tony Wright as they put on 104 in the only partnership of substance all day.
More than 15 wickets having fallen in the day, the umpires were obliged to report the pitch to the ECB but in the same breath they will certainly have advised against any rushed visit from the Inspector. Truly it is not a pitch on which the bowlers should have been as dominant as they were. Good bowling, irresolute batting and just sufficient movement off a greenish surface all go some way towards explaining what looks likely to be another three-day four-day match.
Between them these two sides have now managed only 16 bonus points for batting from 12 innings. Only Hancock batted with much confidence and even his accomplished 62, an innings which grew in stature as others came and went like buses in the rush hour, occupied only 26 overs. The ball swung minimally in a strong, cold breeze and moved sideways only marginally off a greenish surface.
But there were contradictions. Hancock, Wright, Mark Alleyne and Lara all played satisfying hooks and pulls when the ball was dug in short and Jack Russell kept up to the wicket for a while both to Mike Smith and Jon Lewis.
Yet from time to time an unprotected thigh was painfully struck and even Russell would not have contemplated going nearer than 25 yards from the wicket when Courtney Walsh was bowling a fast and hostile new-ball spell which seemed to get quicker and fiercer during Lara's uneasy hour at the crease.
Play ended shortly before half past eight after a noon start, lunch at a quarter past two and tea at five to six, possibly the latest tea interval ever taken in the County Championship. If it was a record, however, it will probably stand only for a week: they are starting an hour later at Hove for Warwickshire's next match against Sussex. By then, with luck, it will have warmed up because the prospect of two hours or more of cricket over an early evening drink really ought to be attractive.
The weather in Bristol was brighter by the evening after a bleak start to the day but even Walsh at full pace was not sufficient to bring them through the gates in droves and a group of young spectators from Raysfield Junior School at Chipping Sodbury had gone home by the time Lara came into bat.
The more attentive of them had seen Gregor Macmillan bowled off stump by the second ball of the day. It was fullish in length and straight, which is what Giddins usually is. Although he modestly suggested that this one had barely swung, the balls with which he added the wickets of Hancock and Matt Windows before lunch certainly did. Hancock was brilliantly yet nochalantly caught at second slip by Nick Knight, driving hard; Windows leg before padding up to his fourth ball.
Dougie Brown's only reward for some hostile stuff was the wicket of Wright, playing back to a ball of full length, the first crack in a wall which fell with startling rapidity. Alleyne, cutting, played on, always a bit unlucky but Giddins and Graeme Welch were too direct for the rest.
Warwickshire also lost a wicket in their first over when Michael Powell edged to second slip; Knight was lbw in the third and Smith's continuing ability to swing the ball away from the left handers accounted for David Hemp and Lara, who fell in an attempt to hit wide of mid-on off the back foot.
Trevor Penney and Brown promised resistance for a while, and they saw off Walsh's opening spell while adding 40, not without some luck. If that was the hard part done, however, both then fell to attacking shots before stumps were drawn on a perplexing day.
There was some good batting by Welch as the sun got lower and Keith Piper, although distinctly uncomfortable in Walsh's second spell, hung on.
There are only 54 runs in it, and the game will be won, perhaps, by whichever side can find someone to make a century.
Day 2: Alleyne 127 gives Gloucs fresh hope
By Christopher Martin-Jenkins at Bristol
Second day of four: Gloucs (181 & 295-9) lead Warwicks (187) by 289
THERE was a better crowd at Bristol yesterday, which was not only because the weather was kinder. Those who had contemplated travelling to Nevil Road for some Saturday cricket must have sensed that there would not be much left for the third day, and until Mark Alleyne played an outstanding innings of 127 not out they looked like being right.
Thanks to the Gloucestershire captain's calm temperament and beautifully balanced technique, the denouement could make dramatic watching. Warwickshire already need 289 today if they are to win their second championship match.
The pattern of the first day was faithfully followed by batsmen and bowlers alike until Ashley Giles was given the chance to show that Gloucestershire could play just as ineptly against spin as they could against Ed Giddins and the other fast bowlers.
Giles and Giddins both took four wickets as Gloucestershire, having conceded a first-innings lead of six, contrived to ask Brian Lara and company to reach a daunting total in the fourth innings.
If anything the pitch, apart from the occasional ball which jumps more than expected from a length, has become easier so Warwickshire at their best should get the runs almost in their sleep. But they are not at their best and they have a formidable foe in Courtney Walsh, who took four more wickets to finish off the tail yesterday morning, thereby earning figures rather closer to the ones he deserved.
He ran into some serious resistance for a while from Graeme Welch and Neil Smith, who had saved some face for his side with a barnstorming second-innings century in the defeat by Somerset.
Coming in after Keith Piper's stout innings had been ended by Walsh in the third over, he hit with customary freedom through the covers, cutting Jon Lewis three times in one over, until Walsh, who had tried frequently but in vain to squeeze a yorker under Welch's generally straight bat, managed it instead against Smith.
Giles was undone by extra bounce - a small indication that the runs he gets in county cricket might not be so easily acquired in Tests - and Giddins lasted one straight ball, so Gloucestershire were batting again before lunch.
In a mere nine overs, three of them had bitten the dust again as Giddins, working up a pace a little short of Walsh's, though generally to a fuller length, had Gregor Macmillan lbw on the back leg, Tim Hancock deftly caught low at second slip and Tony Wright bowled, playing no stroke: inswinger, out- swinger, inswinger.
At last we saw some decent batting from Alleyne and Matt Windows. Alleyne was excellent from the outset, strong through the covers, safe in defence and masterly in finding the gaps, especially as the innings developed and it became necessary for him to control the strike. Windows, too, hit some fine off-side shots, not least off Dougie Brown, who is striving to find a length between too short and too full.
Having added 87 with his captain, Windows became the first of Giles's victims in a probing afternoon spell from the Jessop Tavern End during which three of his wickets came from catches close to the bat. Since one of them, Martyn Ball's, appeared dubious, the fuss Warwickshire made when they then thought Jon Lewis should have been given out caught was preposterous.
They lost their way, indeed, after tea, allowing an initially uncomfortable Mike Smith to help Alleyne add what might turn out to be a crucial 105 with Alleyne for the ninth wicket.
Day 3: Lara waiting in the wings
By David Green at Bristol
Third day of four: Warwicks (187 & 44-2) trail Gloucs (181 & 307) by 257
DURING 105 minutes of play on Saturday evening, Ed Giddins took the remaining Gloucestershire wicket to give him career best figures of 11 for 164, but Warwickshire lost two wickets and face a tough task today.
However, they have some quality batsmen in their side and with Brian Lara needing a big personal score and a win to end a run of poor results it would be unwise to discount their chances.
When Giddins bowled Mark Alleyne off the inside edge the Gloucestershire captain had hit 17 fours in a marvellous innings lasting 5.25 hours, supervising the addition of 117 for the last two wickets in a total of 307.
Alleyne's assistant in this late rally was Mike Smith, who at first looked most uneasy but Giddins, who performed splendidly early in the day, had been over-bowled and could not deliver the coup de grace.
Warwickshire, needing 302 to win on a pitch now of slightly uneven bounce, wanted a good start but Courtney Walsh, steaming in with the wind behind him, soon had Michael Powell caught behind.
David Hemp started brightly but was then beautifully caught by Gregor Macmillan low to his left at third slip.
Nick Knight batted with great determination and nightwatchman Ashley Giles, whose ballooned attempted hook off Jon Lewis fell safely, boldly clubbed a couple of loose balls to the boundary as Warwickshire reached 44 for two, leaving them with a daunting 257 still to be gathered today.
Day 4: Walsh and Smith polish off victory
By David Green at Bristol
Gloucs (181 & 307) bt Warwicks (187 & 131) by 170 runs
COURTNEY WALSH, six for 65, and Mike Smith, four for 54, took only 100 minutes yesterday morning to sweep aside the last eight Warwickshire wickets and consolidate Gloucestershire's position among the championship leaders with their third win.
This was Warwickshire's fourth defeat in the championship and will increase the pressure on captain Brian Lara and his men who never recovered from the ninth-wicket century stand between Mark Alleyne and Smith on Friday evening.
Walsh, who had match figures of 12 for 153, his 14th 10-wicket haul for the county, remains a real force but it was Smith who did the early damage yesterday as he took the first four wickets. Warwickshire, 44 for two overnight and needing 258 more for victory, soon lost nightwatchman Ashley Giles who drove Smith firmly for two boundaries but was then bowled by one that ducked into him.
Lara entered and, having carefully left his first two balls, was lbw to the third aiming to leg. Trevor Penney was taken deftly at slip and Nick Knight, having resisted for 29 overs, was bowled offering no stroke.
Warwickshire, now 77 for six, could find no escape as Walsh had Keith Piper caught at short leg off bat and pad and then yorked Graeme Welch and Neil Smith with successive balls. Dougie Brown, meanwhile, was battling gamely, hooking and straight driving Walsh for two fours. Walsh, though, would not be denied and his cleverly concealed slower ball had Brown comfortably caught at mid-off.