Ruthless Gloucs cement top spot

Vikram Banerjee mopped up the Middlesex tail on the third morning to set up Gloucestershire's three-day victory

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Gloucestershire opened up a 22-point gap at the top of the Second Division by completing their third LV= County Championship win of the season - a nine-wicket thrashing of Middlesex inside three days at Bristol.

Jon Lewis (3-54) and Steve Kirby (3-30) were the most successful bowlers as the visitors were bowled out for 233 in their second innings, having begun the day on 129 for five.

That left Gloucestershire needing only 45 for victory and they wrapped things up just after 2pm, Hamish Marshall making 28 not out, to claim 20 points. Middlesex had to be content with three.

It was Kirby who made the first breakthrough of the day when Neil Dexter got a thick inside edge onto his stumps having added ten to his overnight score of 33.

Lewis then found the edge of Gareth Berg’s bat with the total on 170 and umpire Vanburn Holder took his time before raising the finger for a catch behind.

Middlesex were still 19 runs behind at that point and any hope they had of making a fight of it disappeared when David Nash, on 38, was run out by Kirby’s direct hit from long-off at the bowler’s end.

Shaun Udal had driven the ball for what looked a comfortable two, but Kirby’s alertness and accuracy of throw made it 180 for eight.

Udal and Chris Silverwood then threw the bat in a breezy stand of 52. Udal had hit five fours in his 27 before edging a lifter from Anthony Ireland to wicketkeeper Steve Snell.

Silverwood was stranded on 26 not out, having hit four boundaries, when last man David Burton was pinned lbw playing no shot by Vikram Banerjee’s arm-ball.

Banerjee, the left-arm spinner, finished with 2-66 and it was another sub-standard effort by the visitors in good batting conditions.

Gloucestershire were left with two overs to face before lunch, which was taken at five without loss. Middlesex needed to improve their over-rate after falling behind in the first innings and thus Owais Shah found himself opening the bowling.

They succeeded in that respect, but could take only one second-innings wicket when Will Porterfield edged Gareth Berg to Andrew Strauss, who took a low catch at first slip.

That brought in Marshall, who played with gay abandon to finish the match in quick time.