Image: Gloucestershire cruised to a seven-wicket victory over Northants in Bristol / © ESPNcricinfo
The final day of the County Championship Division Two clash between Northamptonshire and Gloucestershire at Bristol on September 18, 2025, was a rollercoaster, and Northamptonshire’s second innings set the tone for the drama. With Gloucestershire wrapping up their first innings at 241 earlier in the day, Northamptonshire faced a 35-run deficit from their own first-innings total of 206. Their task was clear, bat with grit, pile on runs, and set a challenging target to keep the game alive.
Northamptonshire’s second innings began with openers Rob Keogh and Lewis McManus striding out under pressure. Gloucestershire’s bowlers, fresh from their first-innings performance, were ready to pounce, led by the fiery Ajeet Singh Dale. McManus, the wicketkeeper-batsman, decided to take the fight to the bowlers early. In the fourth over, he launched a glorious six off Dale, signaling intent. But Dale wasn’t fazed. In the same over, he fired back, clean-bowling McManus for 9 runs off 15 balls, leaving Northamptonshire at 19 for 1. It was a blow that set a cautious tone.
Keogh, usually a middle-order stalwart but pushed up to open, struggled to find rhythm. He scratched around for 6 runs off 17 balls, managing just one boundary, before disaster struck. A mix-up with Zaman Akhter led to a catastrophic run-out in the sixth over, courtesy of some sharp fielding. Keogh’s departure left Northamptonshire wobbling at 23 for 2, and the Bristol crowd sensed blood. James Sales and Calvin Harrison now had to dig in, with Gloucestershire’s seamers, including Dale and Matt Taylor, probing relentlessly.
Harrison brought some flair to the crease, playing with confidence. He struck five crisp fours in his 25 off 27 balls, taking a liking to Dale’s fuller deliveries and Taylor’s looser ones. His fluent strokeplay briefly lifted Northamptonshire’s spirits, pushing the score to 55 for 3 by the 12th over. But Dale, Gloucestershire’s spearhead, wasn’t done. He roared back, bowling Harrison with a beauty that nipped back, leaving the visitors in deeper trouble. Sales, the young batter, showed promise with 14 off 39 balls, including two boundaries, but he couldn’t build on his start. Josh Shaw entered the attack and struck in the 18th over, inducing an edge from Sales that Miles Hammond pouched at slip. At 77 for 4, Northamptonshire needed a partnership to steady the ship.
Enter Saif Zaib, who had been their rock in the first innings with 76, and Justin Broad, a gritty all-rounder. Zaib wasted no time, playing with controlled aggression. He smashed six fours in his 37 off 43 balls, picking off Shaw and Graeme van Buuren with precision. Broad, meanwhile, played the anchor role, and their 62-run stand for the fifth wicket gave Northamptonshire a glimmer of hope. The score ticked past 100, and the lead crept toward a defendable range. But just as the partnership was blooming, Akhter struck, tempting Zaib into an edge that keeper James Bracey gleefully accepted. Zaib’s exit for 37 left Northamptonshire at 139 for 5 after 32 overs, and the momentum shifted again.
Broad, now the senior partner, knuckled down. He grafted his way to 49 off 104 balls, stroking five fours and showing immense patience against both pace and spin. Aadi Sharma, coming in at No. 7, injected some energy, hammering three fours and a six in his 22 off 28 balls. Their 36-run partnership pushed the score to 175, and Northamptonshire dared to dream of setting a target above 200. But Ben Charlesworth, Gloucestershire’s part-time bowler, turned the game on its head. In the 42nd over, he trapped Sharma lbw for 22 and, two balls later, had captain Luke Procter caught behind for a duck. This double blow left Northamptonshire reeling at 175 for 7, with the tail exposed.
Ben Sanderson, more known for his bowling, couldn’t offer much with the bat, scratching out 1 off 12 balls before Charlesworth struck again, getting him caught by Jack Taylor in the 47th over. The score was 183 for 8, and Broad was running out of partners. Heartbreakingly, Broad fell one short of a deserved fifty, adjudged lbw to Dale in the 49th over. Benjamin Whitehouse added a quick 6 off 9 balls, including a boundary, but Dale sealed the innings in the 50th over, trapping Whitehouse lbw. Nirvan Ramesh was left not out on 3 off 7 balls. Extras, including 16 byes, boosted the total to 192 in 50.2 overs, at a run rate of 3.81.
Gloucestershire’s bowling was disciplined, with Dale the standout, taking 4 for 46 in 14.2 overs. Charlesworth’s 3 for 6 in 6 overs was a revelation, while Shaw (1 for 36) and Akhter (1 for 20) chipped in. Taylor and van Buuren kept things tight without taking wickets. Northamptonshire’s innings was a story of missed opportunities as Zaib and Broad fought hard, but the top order’s early collapse and the tail’s frailty meant they set Gloucestershire a modest target of 158. It was a total that gave Gloucestershire a clear edge heading into the chase.
With 158 to chase, Gloucestershire’s second innings was their chance to seal the deal, and they grabbed it with both hands, wrapping up a 7-wicket victory in style. The Bristol pitch, still offering enough for the bowlers, promised a contest, but Gloucestershire’s batsmen approached the task with confidence and clarity. Openers Joe Phillips and Ben Charlesworth took guard, knowing a brisk start could kill the game early. Northamptonshire, desperate for wickets, threw everything at them.
The chase didn’t start smoothly. Justin Broad, Northamptonshire’s all-rounder, struck in the second over, getting Phillips caught by Rob Keogh for 2 off 6 balls. At 11 for 1, there was a flicker of hope for Northamptonshire. But Charlesworth, in fine form, and Oliver Price quickly took control. Charlesworth was in no mood to hang around, cracking four boundaries in his 33 off 34 balls. He looked comfortable against Ben Sanderson and Broad, driving and cutting with authority. However, Sanderson got his man in the 10th over, inducing an edge that Lewis McManus snapped up behind the stumps. At 63 for 2, Northamptonshire sensed a chance, but Price and Miles Hammond had other ideas.
Price, who made 37 in the first innings, was the glue of the chase. He batted with calm assurance, compiling 54 off 58 balls with five well-timed fours. His innings was a masterclass in pacing a chase, mixing solid defense with crisp drives to keep the scoreboard moving. Hammond, at the other end, played with freedom, and their 61-run partnership for the third wicket broke Northamptonshire’s spirit. The score raced past 100, and the target looked increasingly within reach. Northamptonshire rotated their bowlers but none could find the breakthrough. Price reached his fifty, a moment of personal triumph, before Keogh finally got him lbw in the 21st over for 54, leaving Gloucestershire at 124 for 3.
With just 34 runs needed, Miles Hammond and Graeme van Buuren took the reins. Hammond, unbeaten on 38 off 36 balls, unleashed two fours and two sixes, his aggression ensuring no late hiccups. Van Buuren was even more explosive, smashing 20 off 12 balls with two fours and a six, putting the result beyond doubt. The pair guided Gloucestershire to 158 for 3 in just 24 overs, at a brisk run rate of 6.58. Extras, including 7 leg byes and 4 no-balls, added 11 runs to the total.
Northamptonshire’s bowlers tried hard but couldn’t stem the tide. Sanderson took 1 for 40, Broad 1 for 21, and Keogh 1 for 27, but Whitehouse (0 for 7), Harrison (0 for 40), and Ramesh (0 for 16) found no joy. Gloucestershire’s chase was a textbook display of controlled aggression, with Price’s half-century providing the backbone and Hammond’s flair delivering the knockout blow. The lower order wasn’t needed, underlining the top order’s dominance. Gloucestershire’s 19 points to Northamptonshire’s 3 reflected their clinical performance in sealing the win.
Ajeet Singh Dale stole the show in Northamptonshire’s second innings, earning the TCNI Magic Moment of the Game for his electrifying bowling. His 4 for 46 in 14.2 overs, with three maidens, was a masterclass in pace and precision.
Dale struck early, removing Lewis McManus (9), and later broke partnerships by dismissing Calvin Harrison (25), Justin Broad (49), and Benjamin Whitehouse (6). His final wicket ended Northamptonshire’s innings at 192, setting a chaseable 158. Supported by Ben Charlesworth’s 3 for 6, Dale’s relentless pressure ensured Gloucestershire’s dominance, making his spell the defining moment of the match.
Oliver Price was the heartbeat of Gloucestershire’s chase, earning TCNI’s Hero of the Day. His 54 off 58 balls, with five fours, anchored the pursuit of 158. Coming in after an early wicket, Price’s 84-minute knock, with a strike rate of 93.10, steadied the innings alongside Ben Charlesworth and Miles Hammond.
His calm yet assertive batting guided Gloucestershire to 158 for 3 in 24 overs, securing a 7-wicket win. Despite a late lbw to Rob Keogh, Price’s performance outshone all, earning him the accolades for steering his team to victory.