COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, Bristol:
CLOSE OF PLAY, FINAL DAY: Gloucestershire 523-7 dec beat Surrey 183 and 339 by an innings and one run (Glos 22pts, Surrey 2pts)

Gloucestershire's bowlers took just under two sessions to complete their expected County Championship victory over struggling Surrey at Bristol.

Only half centuries from Chris Schofield (71) and Rangana Herath (52no) held up the home attack.

Hamish Marshall took 4-52 as Surrey were bowled out for 339, enabling Gloucestershire to wrap up victory by an innings and one run.

Gloucestershire took maximum points to revive their flagging promotion hopes.

With two games still to play, they are up into third, just a point behind Northants, who admittedly have a game in hand.

Gloucestershire now face a frustrating 11-day wait before the next Championship game across the River Severn against Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens.

They then face the tough task of taking on Division Two leaders Kent in their final game in the season's last week at Bristol.

For Surrey, now down in eighth place ahead of only their London neighbours Middlesex, it was their third loss in succession - and they had the look of a side which could not wait for the season to be over.

Gloucestershire captain Alex Gidman said:

"We either perform really well or really badly in this competition and anything can still happen between now and the end of the season.

"If we play like we did when losing to Leicestershire and Middlesex the other week, then we can forget it.

"But, if we continue to play as we have done against Surrey, we are eminently capable of winning three on the bounce.

"It will be difficult, but promotion is still there for us and we appear to be hitting form at just the right time."

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version