Hat-trick by Miles shatters leaders Essex

IT was all about the bowlers for Gloucestershire as the hosts secured a brilliant victory over table-toppers Essex last weekend.

The Division Two leaders had started the final day needing a further 197 for victory from 16-1, but in the end did not get near.

Seamers Liam Norwell, Craig Miles and David Payne always had Gloucestershire in control as the Essex batsmen slipped to 124-8 by lunch although that was some form of recovery as, at one stage, the visitors were 59-5.

There was even a splitinnings hat-trick for Miles, who struck with his final two deliveries of Essex’s first innings before removing Ravi Bopara with his first ball in the second knock.

Miles also saw off the potentially dangerous duo of Dan Lawrence and Essex captain Ryan ten Doeschate before James Foster fell with the last ball before lunch for just seven.

It was left to Norwell to take the final wicket, though, bowling Essex’s top scorer Ashar Zaidi for 37.

It was a game dominated by the bowlers, a relatively unusual occurrence so far this summer.

Essex’s New Zealand paceman Matt Quinn took 11 in the match but Gareth Roderick’s 102 proved vital for the hosts.

Essex head coach Chris Silverwood said:“Everybody in the dressing room is disappointed. The game was there for the taking but, quite frankly, we weren’t good enough.There’s no divine right to win a cricket game so credit to Gloucestershire.

“We’ve had a very honest talk.We need to be ruthless. We would have taken this position at the start of the season but we need to dust ourselves down and come out fighting in the next game.”