Gloucestershire v. Derbyshire one day cup

Derbyshire 298 (Ali 82, Reece 50, Guest 43, Came 40 van Meekeren 4-66)

Gloucestershire 299-4 (Price 116*, Tector 86, Taylor 51* Conners 2-43) in 43.2 overs

Gloucestershire won by 6 wickets

Long before this game ended - in fact, before the Derbyshire innings ended - I had a good idea about the conclusion here.

Derbyshire mounted a score that was OK, but nothing more than that, on a relatively small ground with a quick outfield. At one stage, when Guest and Ali were batting together in a century stand, a score around 350 looked possible and was really needed with a weakened Derbyshire attack.

Came and Reece led off well, the former looking in especially good touch as befits a man with a century in each of his last two innings. When Harry departed, David Lloyd came in for his debut but never really got going. Reece made a good fifty but then holed out at deep square, when we could have done with him going on.

It didn't appear to matter, as Guest and Ali added 104 and at 205-4 in the 34th over Derbyshire were set for a really good score. Guest then got out, giving a catch to mid wicket and Dal soon followed, upper cutting casually to third man.

It brought in Wood and he never really got going. He only made five from his first 22 balls faced and the innings lost momentum. He upped the tempo later, but looks a far better player when he goes for it and there appears too great a discrepancy between his best and worst game. Although Mark Watt played some lusty blows, Derbyshire fell short of 300 and it was disappointing.

Ali played the best innings today. At the risk of going all Cardus on you, an innings by him is like a summer's day. Gorgeous, hugely enjoyable and disappointing when it comes to an end, which it did today when he had made 82 from 65 balls. He batted so well, but a more experienced player, with twelve overs to go and the last recognised bat with him, might have reined it in a little. His timing and power are quite special and I suspect he will be a really top player for his country in time.

Zafar Gohar bowled beautifully for the hosts, the best controlled spell of spin I have seen this summer. It was something Derbyshire cried out for, as our own bowling was really poor today.

Sam Conners aside, there was too much width, too great a variation in length and the home batters capitalised. Tector, signed at such short notice they couldn't even get his name on a shirt, batted really well, but was helped on his way by some very poor stuff.  By the time he was out in the 23rd over, for a classy 86 from 69 balls, Gloucestershire already had 158 on the board and were cruising.

Price, who had lent good support until that stage, then took control, put his foot down and the home side, with good support from Bracey and Taylor, eased to victory with more than six overs in hand. Price played sensibly, eschewed flamboyance but did what he had to do. Truth be told, the way we bowled and they batted, a score closer to 400 would have been needed to challenge them.

Watt doesn't seem to have his usual rhythm at present - I thought the same when he was bowling for Scotland last week - and took hefty punishment today. So did Potts and it seemed that Reece, the seventh bowler used, was something of an afterthought. It was good to see Lloyd bowl some overs and claim his first Derbyshire wicket, but the attack was treated with little respect and, to be fair, didn't bowl a great deal that deserved it.

Played one, lost one. 

They have to get much better than this or it will be a long competition.  Truth is we don't have many alternatives to this side.

But well done Gloucestershire. They slaughtered us today.