Rothesay County Championship, Division Two, cinch County Ground, Northampton (day four)
Northamptonshire 465 & 191-3: Harrison 92*, Zaib 34*, Vasconcelos 33
Gloucestershire 268 & 367 (f/o): Bracey 137*, Bancroft 64; Sales 3-57, Guthrie 3-89
Northants (23pts) beat Gloucestershire (3 pts) by seven wickets
Calvin Harrison blazed 92 off 100 balls to propel Northamptonshire to a dramatic seven-wicket victory over Gloucestershire on the final evening of their County Championship match at Wantage Road.
Harrison unleashed three huge sixes and seven fours and was joined by Saif Zaib (34 not out) in a quickfire fourth-wicket stand of 101 runs off 72 balls as the hosts chased down a target of 191 to win off 36 overs with 13 balls to spare.
Earlier James Bracey scored a magnificent unbeaten century which helped set up the run chase and extend the match into the final session.
Bracey’s 148 was his second century of the season and only Gloucestershire’s third three-figure score of the summer.
It followed his 72 in the first innings and his runs were largely responsible for keeping Gloucestershire in the game as he extended his overnight eighth-wicket partnership with Daz Ahmed to 83.
Northamptonshire appeared in control overnight with Gloucestershire seven wickets down following on, but Bracey continued accumulating as the game drifted for a time against a tired-looking bowling attack, who had been in the field for almost three days.
Gloucestershire, though, were ultimately dismissed for 387, having added a further 123 to their overnight 264-7.
Northamptonshire were behind the required rate in the chase, losing three wickets in the process before Zaib came out to join Harrison and the tempo shifted in thrilling style.
Rain had delayed the start of play until 12:15 BST and Northamptonshire took the new ball as soon as it was due after one over.
Harry Conway found early away movement, but Bracey leaned into three glorious cover drives off Liam Guthrie’s second over, the first bringing up the 50 partnership off 94 balls with Ahmed as Gloucestershire’s lead stretched into three figures.
Ahmed eventually fell lbw, playing across the line to a Conway inswinger, but Bracey brought up his century after lunch before Raphy Weatherall angled one into Matt Taylor that shaped away and drew the edge through to the keeper.
It was James Sales who wrapped things up when Will Williams nicked behind to the keeper as Bracey finally ran out of partners.
Northamptonshire lost Procter early in their chase when he chopped on to an impressive Williams, but Ricardo Vasconcelos (33) soon found the ropes, hooking Kristian Clarke for six.
When Vasconcelos pulled Matt Taylor with authority to take the score to 50 in the 12th over, Northamptonshire were motoring, but next ball he played on to his stumps, attempting to withdraw his bat.
Bracey could not stay out of the game for long and pulled off a stunning one-handed low catch when Nathan McSweeney (21) nicked Ahmed behind.
But Zaib smashed the paceman over mid-on, while Harrison pulled him for another boundary to reach his half-century with Northamptonshire going into the final 10 overs needing 70.
In a crucial over costing 21, Harrison took on Clarke, hooking him for an enormous six into the top tier of the Turner Stand and followed it up with another into the Curo Lounge below, before smashing two fours.
Zaib then cut Graeme van Buuren for four and drove against the spin for another before Harrison swung Clarke for another huge six legside with victory arriving shortly afterwards.
Report by ECB Reporters’ Network, supported by Rothesay.
