Gloucestershire triumph despite Dernbach six-for
Gloucestershire claimed their first limited-overs trophy in more than a decade after tightening like a vice during the last third of Surrey's innings to suffocate the run chase and triumph in a t
Gloucestershire claimed their first limited-overs trophy in more than a decade after tightening like a vice during the last third of Surrey's innings to suffocate the run chase and triumph in a t
Scorer: M Venkat Raghav | Commentator: Alagappan Muthu
Trophy pocketed, champagnes popped, celebration time and it is celebration time for all of us too for having witnessed such a gripping tale. Thank you for your company, this is Al Muthu and Nikhil Kalro fading to black
Gloucestershire come up for their medals now. Geraint Jones walks up with his kids as well to take his mementos. And then Michael Klinger, captain fantastic today: Couldnt be prouder. Been a progression over three years, possibly longer and for the boys to come out believing in themselves no matter the situation. Unfortunately I missed out, but the boys chipped in really well and we got to competitive total. To be honest, coming here today you would take a win no matther what. Obviously I would have loved some runs, but we have had contributors throughout the season. We have some really good young bowlers, couple missed out with injury. So onwards and upwards. Not using up the last couple of overs did come into the mind. We have won from any position on a number of occasions and it will be great for this ground moving forward by winning such tight games in finals. We hope to keep this up in all formats. Since the start of this year, we did not priorities a single format. We just went out there to play at our best for every game. Congratulations to Surrey as well, we learned from them along the tournament. Great game today.
Surrey come up to collect their runners-up medals now. And now over to Surrey captain Gareth Batty: Disappointment, a little shock too. But credit to Gloucs. They fought like heck and a great send-off to Geraint and good for their new coach as well. [Chasing today] Ultimately turned out I was wrong and I take that on the chin. Thats the sad part of winning and losing. Dernbach proved he was the best in the country today, very sad for him. Felt nervous when it was 13, 14 to win and it was getting close. But credit to Glous. It was a great game of cricket, a great game of old school cricket. Today makes a great driving force because we dont want to finish off without silverware. We are a good team, a developing team. Just a sad day today
6.20 pm Jack Taylor is the Man of the Match in the final: Didn;t have too much time to think [about the final catch] which was good, really. 220 was somewhere less than where we wanted to be, but the bowlers squeezed it well. We had to rev ourselves up in the halfway stage. We were down then. Wasnt exactly the plan [getting Sanga out with the full toss] but I shall take it. Our fans have been awesome and the boys have appreciated that
6.10 pm Geraint Jones ends his professional career with a trophy and he runs away to the crowd to get a hug from his son. Now he is carried off on the shoulders of his team-mates. Falls over as well! Struck a gritty fifty that took Gloucs to this total. But the legwork for this victory was done by the bowlers. James Fuller started it off with some hit-the-deck bowling. There cannot be enough praise for the spinners Tom Smith and Jack Taylor. Surrey had Sanga and Burns batting like a dream on 143 for 2, but those two found the breakthroughs that Gloucs needed so badly. And thereafter, Michael Klinger the captain took over. Excellent bowling changes, excellent field placings. Keeping men inside the circle to stop the singles and slips too.
Emotional scenes at Lords, with the players going into the crowd to celebrate with their family and friends. Hamish Marshall has his kid in cradled in his arms. Howell goes to hug his dear ones, how tight did he bowl, with reverse swing and all. Payne, who bowled that last over, is being mobbed a bit out there too.
Spare a thought for Surrey too. They bowled with great discipline, Jade Dernbach got a hat-trick to hand over a target of 221. And then Sanga and Burns were churning the runs out like they were on cheat-code mode on Brian Lara cricket. Very well controlled fifties from both men, but once Sanga fell to a full toss (one more would follow him into the pavilion off full tosses) the tide turned. Sam Curran, the 17-year old, fought hard for his 37 off 39 but the fairy tale ending was not to be
Mark: "Told you so! Gloucs looked to be out of both the QF & SF and both times came through. Maxi Klinger is just superb in a crisis at getting the best out of these youngsters." ---- Opta says Gloucs have won nine of their 10 List A finals!
Unbelievable, nervous at the halfway stage. Not sure we had the total. But this side has a lot of belief. We thought it was ours and it was for the taking. Surrey were playing well, but once we got Sanga out, we knew we had a chance. The wicket was stopping, it was always going to be diffcult for the new batsman. At some point every game, people have put their hands up and Payne did so well. The reason I came to Gloucester was for the boys and they have been stunning, says Geraint Jones, To go out this way, to score some runs and contribute, but in the field I was a passenger a bit. Just sat back and watched. Brilliant way to go out
Srihari: "Last year it was Breese who won his final professional game for Durham, this year it is Jones for Gloucestershire, who will it be next year? In any case, that was a fantastic performance from Glos, who showed they aren't a one-man team."
GJ Batty c Taylor b Payne 0 (5m 2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00
Mid-off is on the edge of the circle. Klinger is at extra cover. Point is inside the circle too
Dernbach comes out, but before he takes the crease he takes the time to give some support to the departing Curran. Batty chats with Dernbach, Gloucs have a mini-conference
Rubesh Murugan: "Is there a super over if it is a tie?" --- No super over in 50-over cricket
SM Curran c Howell b Payne 37 (67m 39b 5x4 0x6) SR: 94.87
Seven to win off six balls, and out walks Gareth Batty the Surrey captain. Payne with the pressure on him. Good yorker bowler. Lords is abuzz. Clapping, roaring. Fun!
Jose P: "Surreyalistic ! Thought it was going to be one-sided after the first innings ! What a finish."
JE Burke run out 11 (18m 13b 1x4 0x6) SR: 84.61
Hamish Marshall, Gloucestershire's veteran batsman, has announced he will be leaving at the end of the season after 11 years with the club.
Hamish Marshall remembers last year's Royal London Cup final at Lord's, where Gloucestershire nicked a six-run victory against Surrey, as "one of the best days of cricket" he's experienced but knows that it will be a tall order to defended the title this
Michael Klinger described Gloucestershire's Royal London Cup win as "fantastic for the whole club" and said it was something for them to build on
Sometimes fairy tales do happen in sport. Geraint Jones, Ashes winner in 2005 turned priceless county pro - via Papua New Guinea - signed off his professional career by being chaired around Lord's