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Hard cheese on Worcestershire

Gloucs (188-9) bt Worcs (138) by 50 runs

The May Bank Holiday in Gloucester is best known locally for the Cooper's Hill Cheese Roll, when hundreds of people chase a speeding Double Gloucester down a steep slope. The cheese always wins. Pursuing a target of 188 proved equally as arduous for Worcestershire at King's School.

On a slow pitch offering appreciable aid to the slow bowlers - the 34 overs of spin in the match went for only 92 - and beneath cloudy skies, the action was never vigorous enough to make the match a compelling spectacle.

Gloucestershire, having won the toss, faltered after a promising start, losing four wickets for 35 in the middle of their innings including Kim Barnett, the only batsman to have more than a brief flirtation with the batting crease. Barnett's move to the West Country has yet to yield success with just 150 for his new county but his attritional 41 here was crucial to his team's success.

Jeremy Snape, enjoying a new lease of life after leaving Northamptonshire in the winter, took the game beyond the visitors. He hit 34 from 29 balls, before being caught brilliantly by a diving David Leatherdale at extra cover, then took the key wickets of Steven Rhodes and Duncan Catterall as Worcestershire hit out in the final overs.

That they needed to do so was down to tight bowling and indifferent shot selection, notably from Paul Pollard who, having pulled and driven Mike Smith for the best shots of the day, scooped a drive to mid on.

Rhodes and Gavin Haynes threatened to make it a contest until Tim Hancock's throw from long on ran out the latter and Rhodes was well caught at midwicket.