DAVID DELIVERS
» New dad Payne takes career-best haul of 11-87 in Middlesex win as Gloucestershire continue superb start to the season
NEW DAD David Payne has double reason to celebrate after career-best match figures of 11-87 saw Gloucestershire crush Middlesex by seven wickets at Lord’s.
Payne, who missed last week’s thrilling win over Leicestershire to be at the birth of his first child, has two match balls to take home to new daughter Ferne after adding 6-56 to his first innings five-wicket haul.
He admitted: “It was a difficult decision to come here having only had my daughter on Saturday and I only had a few days with her, but I feel like it was the right thing now. To get 11 wickets is more than I could have ever expected.
“I feel in a confident place with my cricket. I’m confident enough that I can have two weeks away and still know I’m not going to have lost my skills. I’ve played long enough now and have the experience to know what I need to do.
“I look at the slope here and it always makes me feel the ball is going to do something.”
Gloucestershire knocked off the 90 runs needed in the final session for the loss of three wickets to cement their place as LV= Insurance County Championship Group Two leaders.
Once the rain stopped it didn’t take long for the storm clouds to gather over Middlesex’s brittle batting line-up once more.
Ryan Higgins had nightwatchman Ethan Bamber caught behind for a 26-ball duck in the fifth over of the day, before Payne took centre stage once more to remove the in-form Robbie White who was caught on the crease and could only plant an inside edge into his off stump.
Nick Gubbins tried to launch a counter offensive, twice unfurling three boundaries in an over, first from Payne and then Higgins, a couple of his cover drives especially pleasing on the eye.
John Simpson caught the mood, playing positively from the off, the pair running with real intent between the wickets to turn ones into twos as they raised the 50-stand at a run a ball.
Gubbins reached 50 from 97 balls, but inevitably Payne snuffed out the revival trapping him lbw, from one which looked to strike the left-hander outside the line.
Simpson went on to make 40, but Payne removed both him and James Harris in the space of four balls as Middlesex collapsed once more.
Thilan Walallawita denied Payne his first ever seven-for, even having the temerity to pull him for a huge six into the grandstand - a fleeting dent in an otherwise seam-bowling masterclass.
The tireless Bamber bowled Chris Dent for 25 and had James Bracey caught at mid-on from a loose shot in the chase that followed.
Kragg Brathwaite also departed on the cusp of victory but former Middlesex man Tom Lace hit a flurry of boundaries in his 31 not out to secure the visitors’ fourth win in five matches.
Gloucestershire had won the toss and put Middlesex in on a cloudy first day with White registering his fourth consecutive half-century to hold Mid
dlesex’s innings together as they clambered to 210 all out.
White was the only batsman to look comfortable against Gloucestershire’s seam attack, but he was denied another tilt at a maiden first-class hundred after being left high and dry with an unbeaten 76.
Payne finished with five for 31 while Higgins and Matt Taylor picked up two wickets apiece.
Sam Robson and Max Holden grafted through an attritional 40 minutes before rain held up play and, when the action resumed, it took Higgins just two balls to make the breakthrough, trapping Robson leg before.
Holden was unlucky to be given out lbw shortly before lunch, offering no shot to a Taylor delivery that appeared to be sailing over the stumps.
Peter Handscomb’s struggle for runs continued, the Middlesex skipper losing his off peg for 11 after an ill-judged leave to Payne.
The left-armer also picked up the wicket of Gubbins, who was bogged down in making 18 before his outside edge flew to second slip, where George Hankins juggled but held on.
However, White timed his shots sweetly, cutting and driving with increased confidence as the overhead conditions improved and building a partnership of 39 with Simpson.
That stand ended when Simpson, who had just driven spinner Tom Smith back down the ground for four, was pinned in front of his stumps.
White added 42 with Martin Andersson, who was lbw for 20 to Taylor and then advanced into familiar territory, passed 50 by drilling Dan Worrall to the cover boundary.
Payne’s inswinger castled James Harris and he finished off the innings by dismissing Thilan Walallawita and Tim Murtagh in the space of three balls.
In reply, Gloucestershire lost captain Dent, run out attempting a rash single to midwicket, but Kraigg Brathwaite and nightwatchman Taylor saw them to 19 for one at stumps.
On day two, James Bracey gave the England selectors a timely nudge as
Gloucestershire tightened their grip.
Bracey, a reserve on England’s tours of Sri Lanka and India this last winter, passed 50 for the fifth time this season in making 75 to stake a claim for a place in next month’s first Test against New Zealand.
The hero of last week’s successful run chase against Leicestershire, Ian Cockbain made 51, sharing a stand of 91 for the fifth wicket with Bracey, while Higgins bludgeoned 49 as the visitors totalled 273 for a lead of 63.
Harris claimed his 500th first-class wicket among figures of two for 49 , while Andersson returned three for 64, but Middlesex’s fragile batting saw them collapse to 26 for three by the close, still 37 behind.
Gloucestershire survived a testing first session for the loss of just nightwatchman Taylor, caught behind by John Simpson from the bowling of Andersson.
Harris broke through soon after the resumption, having Brathwaite brilliantly caught in the gully by Robson for 33 off an uncharacteristically wild slash.
Murtagh trapped Lace lbw and Bracey, then on 36, was dropped at gully.
He cashed in on his reprieve, moving to 50 from 115 balls with the help of a towering six off left-arm spinner Walallawita.
Cockbain was more fluent, a gorgeous cover-drive one of eight boundaries in his 50 from 78 balls, before Harris bowled him with a beautiful inswinger.
Bracey threw his wicket away soon after tea, hooking Andersson to Harris at fine leg, but Higgins’ typically aggressive contribution ensured Gloucestershire’s handy advantage.
Middlesex were soon in trouble second time around, Higgins trapping Robson lbw for eight.
The out of form Max Holden was caught and bowled by Payne and skipper Handscomb’s wretched run continued when he was caught behind off Taylor, laying the foundations to secure a fourth win of the season.
It was a difficult decision to come here having only had my daughter on Saturday and I only had a few days with her, but I feel like it was the right thing now. To get 11 wickets is more than I could have ever expected
David Payne