County DIV2 2026, GLO vs MID 51st Match Match Report, September 15

Gloucestershire 296 (Ahmed 90*, Sai Kishore 71, Hollman 3-36) and 145 for 9 (Ahmed 42, Roland-Jones 4-30) drew with Middlesex 326 (Falconer 49, Langridge 3-82) and 361 (Duke 94, Robson 92, Geddes 57, Langridge 5-87)

Middlesex were frustrated by the Bristol weather in their pursuit of victory over Gloucestershire on the final day of the Rothesay County Championship Division Two match at the Seat Unique Stadium.

Chasing 362 to win, Gloucestershire subsided to 145 for 9 and were on the brink of a tenth defeat in 13 red-ball games when rain saved them. Seamers Toby Roland-Jones and Ryan Higgins had taken 4 for 30 and 3 for 35 respectively, only for the defiant last-wicket pair of Matt Taylor (16 not out) and JT Langridge (1 not out) to hold out for seven overs before umpires Hassan Adnan and Ben Pevarall took the players off at 4.10pm with 41 overs still available.

Harry Duke had earlier fashioned an enterprising 94 from 116 deliveries as Middlesex posted 361 in their second innings. Langridge took three of the last four wickets to fall to finish with 5 for 87, his second five-for in as many matches for Gloucestershire.

Playing their final match ahead of Sunday’s Metro Bank One Day Cup final against Leicestershire at Trent Bridge, Middlesex took 13 points, while Gloucestershire were fortunate to emerge with 12 from their first draw of the season.

Middlesex resumed their second innings on 298 for 6, a lead of 328. Having raised a cautious half-century the previous evening, Duke did his best to enliven proceedings, smashing Langridge over the long-off boundary for six. The on-loan Somerset seamer responded by persuading Zafar Gohar to flash at a short-pitched delivery and offer a catch behind. Unperturbed, Duke continued to lay down the law, pulling Taylor behind square for another six as he moved through the gears.

Sebastian Morgan came and went quickly, pulling Taylor high to Kamran Dhariwal at deep midwicket, while Langridge bowled Roland-Jones in the next over to further reduce the visitors to 343 for 9. Duke was by now in full-on one-day mode, ramping consecutive Taylor deliveries for four, only to then pull a delivery from Langridge straight to deep midwicket in pursuit of the six that would have brought him a second hundred in as many matches. Langridge had greater reason to be satisfied after registering his second five-wicket haul in his third Gloucestershire appearance.

Middlesex immediately applied pressure with the new ball, Higgins getting one to nip back and bowl Ollie Price between bat and pad in the second over. Roland-Jones then pinned Joe Phillips in front with a delivery that kept low and Miles Hammond opened the face and guided the next ball to Sam Robson at second slip, bagging a pair as Gloucestershire slumped to 18 for 3.

James Bracey drove Higgins through the covers to raise a thousand first-class runs for the second successive season, but Tommy Boorman fell later in the same over, pushing tentatively at a delivery from Higgins and offering a low catch to a tumbling Roland-Jones at third slip. When the ubiquitous Roland-Jones trapped Bracey lbw in the next over, shell-shocked Gloucestershire were 36 for 5 and staring down the barrel.

Dhariwal and Daz Ahmed mustered resistance of sorts in a sixth-wicket stand of 41, only for the former to play on and succumb to Danru Ferns for 15 as the home side limped to 77 for 6 at lunch.

The seventh wicket pair of Ahmed and Ed Middleton advanced the score to 111 for 6 before rain moved in, causing the loss of an hour and 20 minutes and 16 overs, during which time tea was taken.

Higgins quickly made up for lost time, drawing Middleton into a shot and Duke taking a regulation catch behind. Roland-Jones then had Ahmed expertly held by Caleb Falconer at extra cover for 42 as the home side continued to subside. Middlesex turned to spin thereafter, Gohar removing R Sai Kishore lbw before light rain returned to force the players off for a final time. Rain continued to fall and the umpires took the decision to abandon at 5.24pm.

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