LIONS CALL
» Gloucestershire batsman Bracey named in squad to face Australian A side,
GLOUCESTERSHIRE batsman and wicket-keeper James Bracey has been named in the England Lions squad to face Australia A in a four-day match starting on Sunday.
In form Bracey is one of four Lions debutants with openers Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley also selected.
Sussex seamer Ollie Robinson is the final uncapped Lion in the squad, which contains three players with Test match experience – Ben Foakes, Ben Duckett and Jack Leach.
Gloucestershire head coach Richard Dawson said: “It’s brilliant news, it’s well deserved because he’s performed very well over the last couple of years and this year he’s been in fine form in both red ball and white ball cricket.
I’m very happy for James as are the rest of the coaching staff and the team. He’s got the recognition he deserves after some hard work backed up by great performances.”
Meanwhile, Ben Charlesworth has been selected in the England under 19 squad who will be playing in a summer tri-series against Bangladesh and India this summer.
Gloucestershire supporters will have the opportunity to watch Charlesworth at the Cheltenham Cricket Festival as all three sides play each other in oneday games on Friday July 26, Saturday 27 and Sunday 28.
Charlesworth and Bracey could not stem a last-innings collapse as Middlesex rolled Gloucestershire over for
137 to clinch victory inside three days at Merchant Taylors’ School.
Chasing 216, Gloucestershire were blown away by a three-wicket burst from Tim Murtagh (5-44), who then returned to break a stubborn eighthwicket partnership and secure his side’s second win of the campaign.
In between Murtagh’s spells, Tom Helm and Toby Roland-jones – who had earlier dragged their side out of the mire with their partnership of 99 – ripped through the middle order as Gloucestershire crashed to 40-7.
Graeme van Buuren defied the home side with a feisty unbeaten half-century, his first of the season, but Rolandjones finished Gloucestershire off, recording match figures of 10-79 to seal victory by 78 runs.
Resuming their second innings at 96-3, Dawid Malan (8) departed to the first ball of the day, a rising delivery from Josh Shaw that brushed his glove and flew through to Gareth Roderick.
George Scott (22) fell to Chadd Sayers, with Benny Howell snapping up the slip catch after Bracey had palmed it up, and Ryan Higgins (4-35) had Robbie White (10) caught behind.
When David Payne trapped John Simpson (10) lbw, Middlesex were deep in trouble at 124-7, a lead of 95.
But Roland-jones (51 not out) and Helm (46) turned the tide before Payne had Helm caught in the slips.
Sayers (3-60) cleaned up the Middlesex innings for 244 with the wickets of Nathan Sowter (5) and Murtagh (9), leaving Gloucestershire to chase 216.
They made the worst possible start, though, as Murtagh removed skipper Chris Dent with the first ball of the innings.
He then dismissed Bracey (15) and Miles Hammond (16).
Wicketkeeper Simpson sprang to his right to remove Roderick (4) off Helm, who claimed his second victim when Ben Charlesworth (2) edged to third slip, while Howell (1) and Higgins (2) fell to Roland-jones.
Payne (16) helped van Buuren (57no) to add 51 for the eighth wicket, but Murtagh returned to uproot his leg stump and then had Shaw (0) caught behind before Roland-jones rounded off his side’s success.