Report: Gloucestershire v Warwickshire, One Day Cup

Ed Barnard’s outstanding performance with bat and ball was the Bears bedrock as they beat Gloucestershire by six wickets at Bristol’s Seat Unique Stadium to extend their winning start to five matches in the Metro Bank One-Day cup.

Having claimed 3-16 to help dismiss Gloucestershire for 267 in 49.4 overs, the in-form all-rounder posted a brilliant match-winning knock of 152 not out from 134 balls as the Bears chased down their target with 2.1 overs to spare.

He dominated stands of 79 and 135 with Hamza Shaikh and Chris Benjamin for the third and fifth wickets respectively and helped himself to two sixes and 14 fours as Warwickshire continued to match joint leaders Glamorgan blow for blow at the top of Group B.

Jack Taylor had earlier done his utmost to make a game of it, Gloucestershire’s skipper scoring a brilliant unbeaten 139 from 115 balls with eight sixes and 10 fours.

Leading by example, he staged partnerships of 101 and 54 with Ben Charlesworth and Graeme van Buuren for the fifth and sixth wickets, respectively, to rescue Gloucestershire from the wreckage of 43-4.

But the home side were kept in check by the irrepressible Barnard, who took his wicket tally in the competition to 13 to undermine the top order, while teenage leg spinner Tazeem Ali returned career-best figures of 3-55 in only his fifth List-A appearance.

Now unbeaten in their last five outings in the 50-over competition, Warwickshire can virtually guarantee a place in the quarter-finals by defeating nearest rivals Glamorgan at Edgbaston on Thursday.

Gloucestershire won the toss and elected to bat, but might well have been regretting that decision after Barnard made early in-roads.

Warwickshire’s acknowledged spearhead in this competition, the 28-year-old utilised early movement off the pitch to remove Cameron Bancroft without scoring and account for Ollie Price and James Bracey in single figures. His partner in new ball mayhem, Michael Booth had Miles Hammond caught at the wicket for 15 as Gloucestershire were unceremoniously reduced to 43-4 inside 134 overs.

Relieved to finally see the back of Barnard, Charlesworth and Taylor launched a recovery, staging an unbroken stand of 50 from 65 balls. Pulling and driving with refreshing freedom, Charlesworth was first to 50, attaining that landmark via 68 balls with his first six.

Taylor registered his half century from 49 deliveries in the next over and the hundred partnership occupied just 101 balls as the fifth wicket pair threatened to take the game by the scruff of the neck.

Taz Ali had his revenge when Charlesworth, who had accrued six 4s and a six, holed out to mid-wicket with the score on 144-5 in the 31st over.

Opting to take pace off the ball in an attempt to restrict scoring, Warwickshire’s three spinners sent down 22 overs between them, Ali, Jake Lintott and Rob Yates conceding a combined total of 116 runs. Ali had some success, having van Buuren held on the long-off boundary, but only after he had contributed 18 in a crucial stand of 54 for the sixth wicket with Taylor. Warwickshire’s 18-year-old leg spinner also sent back Tom Smith, but the visitors were unable to take the prized wicket of Taylor.

Gloucestershire’s captain certainly exacted a heavy price, going to his first hundred of the season from 101 balls, and then orchestrating a late flurry that saw the home side plunder 52 runs in 3.4 overs at the death.

Mindful that Warwickshire had chased 328 to defeat Essex at Chelmsford last month, Gloucestershire were aware of the importance of taking early wickets. Matt Taylor obliged, persuading Yates to hole out to mid-wicket for 16, while Josh Shaw had Rhodes caught at the wicket without scoring as the visitors slipped to 46-2.

But Barnard and Shaikh provided much-needed reassurance in an alliance that served to frustrate the home side. Having already posted a career-best knock of 173 in this competition this season, Barnard went to his latest 50 from 52 balls, finding the boundary with sufficient regularity to keep the required rate below six an over.

Appointed captain of the England Under-19 side in June, Shaikh is enjoying a breakthrough season, and he further enhanced his burgeoning reputation here, making 37 in a stand of 79 for the third wicket.

Content to play second fiddle to Barnard, the 18-year-old demonstrated his quality on occasions, caressing van Buuren’s slow left arm over square leg for six before slicing the same bowler high to cover and departing in the 25th over. Price then bowled Michael Burgess in the act of reverse sweeping, at which point the visitors were 136-4, requiring a further 132 runs from 22.2 overs.

But they were unable to unseat Barnard, whose serene progress saw him go to three figures from 99 balls. He found a willing ally in Benjamin, these two making 50 from 56 balls to keep the chase on track.

Playing within himself, Benjamin rotated the strike beautifully in making a valuable 45 not out from 59 balls, while Barnard displayed impressive concentration to see the job through, carrying his bat for a second time in five innings to break Gloucestershire resolve.

Ed Barnard said: “This is a big win against a good team and it sets us up in terms of trying to win the group. We’re five out of five, on a really good run and determined to try and secure that home semi-final.

“I was going to bat first, so perhaps it was a good toss to lose. The ball was nipping about and, fortunately, we were able to take advantage of that this morning.

“I’m pleased with my form at the moment and it was important to take those early wickets. But the spinners backed up the seamers superbly and Tazeem Ali and Jake Lintott did particularly well during the middle overs and again at the death. Taz is doing really well for such a young lad and we’re genuinely excited about what he offers us for the future.

“I have quite a bit to think about as captain in the field, but it’s different when you’re batting and I was able to focus solely on executing during the reply. I’m happy with where my game is at right now and I’m sure I’ll look back fondly on these performances when a loss of form eventually comes!

“At the moment we’re winning games, I’m able to contribute with decent personal performances and we’re on track to make the knockout stages, so we have good reason to feel confident.”