Indian spinner R Sai Kishore produced the kind of spell county cricket rarely sees, tearing through Derbyshire's batting to hand Gloucestershire a thumping 213-run win in England. Chasing 319 for victory, Derbyshire never got close, bundled out for just 105 as Sai Kishore's spin proved unplayable.
Sai Kishore's five-wicket burst sinks Derbyshire
In Derbyshire's second innings, Sai Kishore returned figures of 5 wickets for just 20 runs. Remarkably, all 10 wickets to fall in that innings went to spin bowlers, meaning not a single Derbyshire batter was dismissed by a pace bowler. He had already picked up 2 wickets in the first innings across 23 overs, taking his match haul to 7 wickets and laying the foundation for Gloucestershire's win.
James Bracey writes himself into the record books
Gloucestershire wicketkeeper James Bracey also made his mark on the match, scoring 113 in the first innings and an unbeaten 104 in the second to complete twin centuries. The feat made him the first Gloucestershire wicketkeeper since Harry Smith in 1919 to score a century in both innings of the same match, a record that had stood for more than a hundred years before falling in this contest.
A see-saw first innings
After winning the toss, Gloucestershire chose to bat first and posted 237 runs, built around Bracey's 113, 42 from Williams and 20 from Sai Kishore. Derbyshire's Brett Randell was the most effective bowler with 5 wickets, while Ben Aitchison and Shoaib Bashir took 2 wickets each. Derbyshire responded with 278 runs of their own, with opener Mohammad Naeem top-scoring with 71 off 119 balls that included 7 fours and 2 sixes. Oliver Price led Gloucestershire's attack with 6 wickets, while Sai Kishore picked up 2 more in his 23 overs, leaving Derbyshire with a slender 41-run first-innings lead.
Batters rescue Gloucestershire after early collapse
Gloucestershire's second innings began disastrously, with the side slumping to 37 for 5. Miles Hammond and James Bracey then steadied the innings and pulled the team out of trouble. Hammond made 118 and Bracey an unbeaten 104, while Joe Phillips chipped in with a useful 64. Their efforts took Gloucestershire to 359 for 5 before the innings was declared, setting Derbyshire a stiff target of 319 runs.
Derbyshire collapse to 105 as Gloucestershire seal a big win
Faced with that target, Derbyshire folded again. Sai Kishore's spin proved too much for the batting line-up, which was bowled out for just 105. His figures of 5 for 20 tilted the match firmly in Gloucestershire's favour, and the side went on to complete a 213-run victory, one of the biggest winning margins of the county season.
