Playing neighbours Herefordshire at the picturesque Eastnor Cricket Club ground, the home side accumulated 208 runs, batting first on winning the toss. Pick of the home batsmen were opener Denis Malley whose two hour innings produced 54 runs and skipper Jim Sandford who accelerated the scoring with a bright and breezy 38 runs. For once the Gloucestershire fielding was suspect with 25 runs being given away, mostly by poor ground fielding. Phil Thorn bowled a tight opening spell which brought two wickets for only 28 runs from his maximum nine overs, and Hatherley's Dave Gorick bowled a mean line at the end of the Hereford innings.
Starting their reply Gloucestershire lost Howard Johnson for only nine runs bringing Frocester's John Evans to the crease. His knock of 97 was a delight to watch and also proved crucial, with no other batsman reaching twenty runs, and when his wicket fell in the 39th. over of the game with the score at 172 for 7 wickets a win looked unlikely for the visitors. Phil Dawes then struck two boundaries before giving a high catch, and when Gorick and Malcolm Davis were out in successive overs Gloucestershire required a run a ball from the last three overs to reach the home total. Deft batting by Basil Norbury produced ten valuable runs and then came Tugwell's mighty blow to win the match.
The county veterans have two more games in the regional element of the competition the first at home to Warwickshire at Bredon Cricket Club on Wednesday July 9th and the final match against Wales is at the Gloucester City Spa ground a week later on Wednesday July 16th.
Herefordshire 50+ 208 for 7 wickets
Gloucestershire 50+ 211 for 9 wickets
Gloucestershire 50+ win by one wicket.
(Many Thanks to Tom Boore for the above report)