Harris ton puts Western Australia in front

Western Australia took control of their match against Queensland at the WACA in Perth, on the back of a commanding unbeaten century by Marcus Harris

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2011
ScorecardWestern Australia took control of their match against Queensland at the WACA in Perth, on the back of a commanding, unbeaten century by Marcus Harris. Beginning the day on 6 not out, Harris played a cautious but effective innings, going to stumps on 133 not out. He strung together a solid 87-run opening partnership with Wes Robinson, before Luke Feldman had Robinson run out.While Harris dropped anchor at one end, no one could build an innings at the other, the second top scorer being Adam Voges with 38 not out. This was the second consecutive day of unusually slow cricket, the innings’ run-rate standing at 2.31 at stumps. James Hopes was the only bowler to make any impression, following up his respectable show with the bat with two wickets.Harris and Voges hope to carry on and pile up a big first innings lead on day three, to put Western Australia in an unassailable position in the match.

Cricket cannot relax regarding security – Chris Broad

A year on from cricket’s most shocking and deadly event, match-referee Chris Broad, who survived the harrowing Lahore terror attack, said the sport’s hierarchies cannot afford to become complacent

Richard Sydenham03-Mar-2010A year on from cricket’s most shocking and deadly event, match-referee Chris Broad, who survived the harrowing Lahore terror attack, said the sport’s hierarchies cannot afford to become complacent regarding security. If they slack in their efforts, Broad fears the terrorists will return.Broad, 52, was caught in the now infamous terrorist ambush on March 3 last year, when the match officials’ bus and that of the Sri Lanka team, en route from their hotel to the Gaddafi Stadium was shot at by masked gunmen. The driver of Broad’s vehicle was killed and reserve umpire Ahsan Raza took a bullet, but has now recovered. Several Sri Lanka players were injured in the attack. Broad later said that the passengers in his bus were left “like sitting ducks” and he felt let down by security that had been assured them.”The third of the third ’09 will be with me until I die,” Broad told Cricinfo. “It was an unhappy day, not only for me but for the rest of the playing control team over there and the Sri Lankan team. It will be cricket’s 9/11. It was a sad day for us and for Pakistan as a country because they wouldn’t have wanted anything to happen to foreigners but that’s the problem they have at the moment.”While Pakistan are now forced to play their home matches overseas because of that attack and frequent bombings throughout the country, the rest of the cricket world is also now more vigilant than ever to possible attacks.This month’s IPL is set to go ahead in India, after organisers opted to take the event to South Africa last season because of lack of adequate security due to a clash with the country’s general elections. This third season, though, has not been without player security fears.”I’m encouraged by the way that the boards I have dealt with (since) have acted regarding security,” Broad said. “I was in India in October-November and they had certainly changed their attitudes regarding security not only for players but for officials also. The concern is that we don’t want those attitudes to relax as that is the time when the terrorists would strike.”Hopefully the boards will continue to improve what we have in place now and ensure that all people involved in international cricket are safe and secure. I say that only because I don’t want the terrorists to beat us.”Broad does not know if he would ever return to Pakistan and said he would need to have all the facts regarding security, if international cricket were to return there in his time as a match official. He does, though, have sympathy for the country’s plight and that of the cricket board. Ironically, having visited Pakistan as player and official, the ill-fated visit was his most enjoyable one until the attack.”I have been to Pakistan four or five times and it was one of the most enjoyable tours I’ve ever had there. The organisation had been very good and socially it was very acceptable as there were more restaurants opening up, the cleanliness within the country was improving. It was a very enjoyable time and it’s just terrible that was soured by what happened.”It’s going to be difficult to overcome because terrorism in the world seems to have a foothold. But we have to support the Pakistan people and cricketers as much as we can, though unfortunately, at this moment in time, it’s difficult to take [international] cricket back to that country. It’s something that is very sad but very true.”The main issue is they have got to sort out these bombings and terror attacks within their own country. I know it is not the Pakistan Cricket Board’s responsibility but it is something that needs to be done and the wider community has to help as much as it can. Otherwise it would be extremely sad to see cricket die in that country.”So, on the anniversary of the attack, does Broad still have nightmares? He revealed in an interview last year that he suffered flashbacks in a cinema on hearing gunshots in a movie.”Time is a great healer, I don’t think about it too often these days but the memories are always going to be with me. The memories are still extremely vivid and they are memories I wish I had never had.”Cricket has not only changed dramatically since I was an England player [in the 1980s], so much has changed in terms of security just in the seven years I have worked for the ICC. It’s a different world to when I was a player.”

Tayla Vlaeminck's career-best helps Australia complete 3-0 sweep

After Alyssa Healy and Tahlia McGrath lifted Australia to 155 for 6, Bangladesh folded for 78

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff04-Apr-2024Tayla Vlaeminck capped her comeback tour in impressive fashion as Australia wrapped up a successful visit to Bangladesh with a 77-run victory in the third T20I.Fast bowler Vlaeminck took a career-best 3 for 12 from her four overs as Bangladesh were dismissed for 78 after Australia had posted 155 for 6. The win ensured Australia completed a clean sweep of the three ODIs and three T20Is on their tour.It was Vlaeminck’s only second match back after two years out of the team due to a recurrent foot stress fracture and then shoulder surgery. She removed Ritu Moni in the fourth over and returned to claim Fahima Khatun and Shorifa Khatun in the space of three balls in the 11th.Australia’s bowlers shared the other success around with all seven used claiming at least one wicket.Captain Alyssa Healy put Australia on track for victory early in the tour finale with 45 from 29 balls while Tahlia McGrath scored an unbeaten 43 from 29 balls batting at No. 5.The visitors returned to their more conventional batting line-up for the final outing having experimented in the second match. But Healy and Beth Mooney could not race away in the powerplay and Bangladesh chipped away to leave them 98 for 5 in the 16th over with Mooney, Ellyse Perry and Ash Gardner all kept below a strike rate of 80.However, McGrath and Grace Harris ensured a powerful finish as they added 57 off 27 balls, which gave Australia more than enough to defend.Australia now have a lengthy break from international action before facing New Zealand in September ahead of the T20 World Cup, which will be staged in Bangladesh.

Heather Knight ready for England comeback after successful hip surgery

Captain keen to make up for lost time as tour to West Indies looms in December

Valkerie Baynes16-Nov-2022England Women are set to be bolstered by the return of Heather Knight for next month’s tour of West Indies, after England’s captain declared herself fit again following hip surgery.Knight was sidelined for a large chunk of the home summer after injuring her hip during the first of three T20Is against South Africa in July. She missed the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham – where England finished a disappointing fourth – after a flare-up ruined her bid to play some part in the event and left her on crutches in constant pain.It was at that time she decided to have an operation to repair torn tissue and damaged cartilage, and remove a piece of bone in her right hip joint which meant she missed India’s subsequent visit to England, the Hundred and the current WBBL. But Knight has come through a tough rehabilitation process to be ready to fly to the Caribbean for three ODIs, starting on December 4, followed by five T20Is.”It feels like it’s been a long old rehab but I’ve just come good the last couple of weeks and am getting back to pretty much full training now,” Knight told ESPNcricinfo. “Fielding has probably been the one thing that’s been a little bit niggly and a little bit of pain, but I’ve had a really good couple of days so I’m fit to go to the West Indies, which is great.”It’s just the last couple of weeks, certain positions that the hip didn’t really like, but the last few days it’s been good as gold so I’m ready to get back and play.”Related

  • Heather Knight hopes hip surgery will 'extend career' as she targets winter return

  • Sciver pulls out of India series to 'focus on mental health and wellbeing'

  • Captaincy takes Amy Jones right out of her comfort zone

  • Ashley Noffke in contention to be named England Women head coach

Not only was the operation a success, Knight explained that it had slightly changed the shape of her hip joint to give her more freedom of movement.”It’s actually a much healthier, better hip joint than it was,” she said. “It hadn’t been an issue that was on the radar, but I played in one of those T20s against South Africa and it flared up really badly and I knew it was something new that was not good.”As the Commonwealths got closer I had a bit of a flare-up. Basically that got worse and worse and I was in pretty much constant pain which obviously wasn’t very pleasant and was quite wearing. I was still hopeful that I was going to play because these things can clear up pretty quickly but, as I got worse and worse and ended up on crutches, I pretty much knew that Commonwealths were a no-go.”Knight is thrilled that she can return to action against West Indies, with the ODIs forming part of the ICC Women’s Championship, in which England are yet to get off the mark following their 3-0 defeat by India in September. The five T20Is to follow will play a key part in England’s preparation for the T20 World Cup in South Africa in February.Despite being “gutted” at spending so much time out of the game, Knight made good on her aim to make the most of it, enjoying seeing family and loved ones, travelling and moving house.”Sometimes when you’re a cricketer you forget the other side of your life and here you are, outside of cricket,” she said. “It was slightly strange watching but I just tried to make the most of it and knuckle down with the rehab and work on a few other things that could hopefully prolong my career a little bit more. “It’s certainly been a tough grind, particularly the last month trying to get back into it and all the rehab you have to do. I don’t think you realise until you’ve gone through a serious injury the sort of hard work you have to do on a day-to-day basis to try and get back.”I’m really grateful for the support I’ve had from the medical team. They’ve been outstanding and got me in a position that, obviously, I had to work very hard to get to, but a position where I could get back playing for England. I feel like I’ve lost a bit of time and I’m ready to get out there and get back playing cricket.”For Knight, the hardest part was not being able to contribute for her team, particularly at a home Commonwealth Games.”I felt like I could have played a really big role and helped us be successful,” she said. “It’s always tough missing out but those were the unfortunate cards that I was dealt.”During Knight’s absence, England gave opportunities to a clutch of emerging players, including teenagers Alice Capsey and Freya Kemp, who thrived alongside fellow youngsters Issy Wong and Lauren Bell, debutantes earlier in the summer.The youth policy is the legacy of Lisa Keightley, England Women’s head coach who left the post at the end of her tenure in September with the naming of her successor imminent. It also has Knight facing the prospect of returning to a side containing a number of players that she has yet to captain.Nat Sciver skippered England through the Commonwealth Games before spending time out of cricket herself for mental-health reasons. Amy Jones led the side through the three ODIs and a 2-1 T20I series victory against India, a role Jones freely admitted took her out of her comfort zone.Sciver is back training with England and “going good”, according to Knight, who acknowledged that Sciver stepping back from the game had been a courageous move, even though players are increasingly doing so to look after their mental wellbeing.”It’s a really good decision and brave decision by her,” Knight said. “I still think it’s a tough decision but people like Nat taking time out and being very open with reasons, it’s only a good thing.”It’s also a bit of an eye-opener to try and not let it get to that stage for a lot of players and making sure that we’re doing everything we can and managing ourselves better to try and not get to that stage. We have a lot of support medically to try and do that as well, but certainly it’s a topic that people are more comfortable talking about, in my experience, and being a bit more willing to be vulnerable when things are tough and you need to take that time.”As franchise cricket increases and the amount of international cricket that we have increases, as players we have to find a way to find little pockets to get fresh and I think we’re all learning that. I think the place Nat got to, where she felt she had to take a break, it’s trying to learn and find ways to manage players and support them as best I can as captain, but also decisions above me in terms of workload management and trying to get players that are at their best for England at the right time.”As draining as a failed Commonwealth Games campaign clearly was on many players who had hoped – and expected – to be among the medals, Knight is backing her side to enter the T20 World Cup without any scars.”The Commonwealths certainly were a disappointment but you’ve got to remember you lost a T20 semi-final by four runs, one that could have easily gone our way, and then you’re in a gold-medal match,” Knight said. “There’s a lot of things we could have done better, but it’s also remembering the good things we’ve done and it’s not the end of the world. We’ve had a lot of success in T20s.”We lost to India by four runs and T20 can sometimes swing like that. But I think we’ll take a lot of learnings from it, particularly the young girls playing in their first global competition. That experience will be great for them, they know what it’s about, they know the different pressures of tournament cricket and how it can affect you and how you can deal with that and hopefully take it forward into the World Cup.”The girls winning that T20 series against India was brilliant, with the side we had. I think we had an average age of maybe 23 or 24, so a really good achievement to beat India 2-1 in that series after the Commonwealths.”

Mitch Claydon to retire at end of 2021 season

Sussex seamer played more than 350 games in 17-year professional career

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jul-2021Mitchell Claydon, Sussex’s Australia-born seamer, has announced his retirement from professional cricket at the end of this season.Claydon, 38, was born in New South Wales but used his British passport to play county cricket, with spells at Yorkshire, Durham, Kent and Sussex, and also played domestic cricket in New Zealand. He was part of the Durham squad that won three County Championships and a Friends Provident Trophy, and won promotion with Kent in 2018.Claydon was an excellent death bowler with a good yorker in one-day and T20 cricket, and has taken 310 first-class wickets at 31.90 with the red ball. He is expected to stay in the game as a coach, and already has experience working with Sydney Sixers as an assistant coach.”After 17 years as a professional cricketer, I have decided that 2021 will be my last,” Claydon said in a statement. “I’m so proud that my shocking rig has got me through 371 games – over a hundred in each format – but all the overs are taking their toll, and everything is starting to hurt. I’m committed to finishing the 2021 season and ending on a high.”Big thanks to Canterbury, Central Districts, Durham, Yorkshire, Kent and Sussex for giving me the opportunity to play the game for a living all these years and all the coaches and support staff at those clubs for their help.”I’d like to give a special thanks to my family both in the UK and back home in Australia. I’ll miss life in the changing rooms more than anything. The fun I’ve had with so many people over the years will provide me with fantastic memories for the rest of my life.”Claydon has only played sporadically for Sussex since signing for them in 2019, appearing in four first-class matches and two T20s. He is yet to make a first-team appearance in 2021. He was banned for nine games following a ball-tampering controversy last year in which he applied hand sanitiser to the ball, which also saw the club docked points.

Sam Curran self-isolating after 'sickness and diarrhoea'

ECB confirm allrounder has been tested for Covid-19

Matt Roller02-Jul-2020Sam Curran is self-isolating in his room at the Ageas Bowl after feeling sick on Wednesday night.Curran made an unbeaten 15 on the first evening of England’s intra-squad warm-up match, but took no part in the game after suffering from “sickness and diarrhoea overnight”, according to an ECB statement.The statement added that Curran was feeling better on Thursday afternoon, but confirmed that he would play no further part in the ongoing warm-up match. He has been monitored by the team doctor, Mark Wotherspoon, who was wearing full PPE during the assessment, and was tested for Covid-19 during the lunch interval.The news will come as a concern for England so close to the first Test. There is no suggestion, at this stage, that Curran has come into contact with the virus, especially within the bio-secure arrangements at the Ageas Bowl, which make it one of the most low-risk environments in the country.However, his illness will undoubtedly be a source of frustration given that he has been unable to bowl in this warm-up match after going so long without competitive cricket. Indeed, it is now difficult to see how will play next week, not least with so many other seamers in contention.The results of Curran’s Covid-19 test are expected back on Friday, although the protocols in the event of a positive result are not at this stage being divulged by the ECB. However, he would be likely to go into a seven-day self-isolation – it is unclear whether that would take place within the team bubble or at home – and Public Health England would also be notified.The remainder of the England players and management are due to be tested again for Covid on Sunday. At this stage, that testing date is unlikely to be brought forward. An ECB spokesperson confirmed that the West Indies camp and other stakeholders within the team environment had been notified.Amar Virdi, the offspinner, was a late addition to Team Buttler – although he was officially replacing Jofra Archer, who experienced soreness from new bowling boots – having initially missed out on the squad. He came on to bowl shortly before the close on the second day and took the final wicket to fall.The ECB is expected to issue a formal update on Olly Stone’s availability on Friday. Stone has played no part in the warm-up match due to a niggle in his left hamstring.

Laurie Evans, ten Doeschate smash Sylhet out of playoff contention

The pair added 109 off 45 balls for the fourth wicket as Sylhet completed a chase of 190 with two overs to spare

The Report by Peter Della Penna30-Jan-2019How the game played outBuoyed by the return of Ryan ten Doeschate from injury, Rajshahi Kings hauled down a target of 190 in impressive fashion to knock out Sylhet Sixers from playoff contention. Ten Doeschate and Laurie Evans combined for a 109-run fourth-wicket stand to steer a brisk chase, completed with two overs to spare.Sixers were given several opportunities to remain in the match, beginning when Johnson Charles missed a straightforward stumping on Afif Hossain’s first ball off Mehidy Hasan in the second over. Hossain went on to make 29, while Sabbir Rahman made the most of being given not out on 0 after feathering an edge behind – Kings had already burned their review in the field – before going on to make 45.Yet, in spite of all the bonus runs, not to mention Nicholas Pooran’s imperious 76 not out off 31 balls, Sixers bowling unit produced a limp effort. Evans continued his superb form with a solid 76 off 36 balls in the Kings chase. Both he and ten Doeschate fell in the 17th over to Sohail Tanvir, but by that stage the required run rate was well under a run-a-ball. The match was sealed when Tanvir bowled consecutive wides to start what should have been the 19th over, though no legal delivery was registered; a microcosm of Sixers’ day in the field.Turning points

  • Pooran hit 21 off Arafat Sunny’s final over in the 14th over to begin a surge of 83 runs off the last seven for Sixers en route to a 21-ball fifty
  • Kings were having a sedate Powerplay before Charles ended the sixth over with a trio of fours off Tanvir, taking the score to 51 for 1 at the end of six overs
  • Evans began his acceleration in the 14th off Ebadot Hossain with three fours to bring the required run rate back under 10 for the first time since the end of the Powerplay
  • Kings needed 41 off 30 balls at the last strategic timeout. Evans began the 16th with a four over extra cover to bring up a 28-ball 50, then continued the over with three fours through the off side, a two, and a six over midwicket, to bring equation under a run-a-ball

Star of the dayEvans, who seemed more relaxed with ten Doeschate back by his side in the chase, one match after the Dutch national sat out with a side strain. After a stretch of three runs in four innings to start off, Evans has now compiled 391 in his last six knocks at an average of 65.20 at BPL 2019, and is currently fourth on runs aggregate behind Pooran, Mushfiqur Rahim and Rilee Rossouw.The big missAny number of them from Charles. The missed stumping was bad but he also seemed uninterested in appealing for caught-behind on the ball that Jason Roy edged. His non-appeal on the Sabbir decision also went against the Kings in the field.Where the teams standKings kept their slim playoff hopes alive by moving to 12 points to break a tie with Dhaka Dynamites for sole possession of fourth place, though Dynamites still have two games remaining while Kings have completed their league phase of matches. Sixers remain on eight points and are eliminated from playoff contention with one match remaining.

SA bowlers leave Queensland reeling after Carey's maiden ton

South Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey scored his maiden first-class hundred as the Redbacks built a hefty total of 485 before reducing Queensland to 4 for 123 by stumps

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2017
ScorecardGetty Images

South Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey scored his maiden first-class hundred as the Redbacks built a hefty total of 485 on the second day against Queensland in Cairns. In reply, Queensland had wobbled to 4 for 123 by stumps, with only former Test opener Joe Burns showing significant resistance, finishing the day unbeaten on 67 alongside Jack Wildermuth on 10.Swing bowler Chadd Sayers, released from the Test squad after being overlooked for a home-ground debut at Adelaide Oval, struck in the third over of the innings when he trapped discarded Test opener Matt Renshaw lbw for 4. David Grant, Adam Zampa and Joe Mennie each picked up a wicket as the Queensland batsmen struggled to establish their innings, with the exception of Burns, who struck five fours and two sixes.But there was a long way to go for the Bulls after the strong batting display from Carey and the South Australia lower order. The Redbacks had resumed on 8 for 328, but any hopes the home team had of quickly running through the tail were dashed by the 117-run stand compiled by Carey and Sayers, who made a career-best 46.Carey had enjoyed a remarkable debut Shield season last summer with a tournament record number of wicketkeeping dismissals as well as 594 runs, but a century was the one thing missing. He ticked that box and was the last man out, caught off the spin of Marnus Labuschagne for 139 after building a 45-run tenth-wicket stand with Grant.

'I channel the hurt to improve' – Dhawan

India opener Shikhar Dhawan has admitted to channelling the disappointment of being omitted from the playing XI for the recent T20I series against West Indies into improving his standards

Arun Venugopal14-Sep-20161:04

‘I look within for motivation’ – Dhawan

India opener Shikhar Dhawan has admitted to channelling the disappointment of being omitted from the playing XI for the recent T20I series against West Indies into improving his standards. Dhawan had a mediocre outing in the Test series in the West Indies, where he managed only 138 runs from four innings before being dropped for the final Test in Port of Spain.”I feel my motivation always increases even when things don’t go well for me,” Dhawan told reporters after the Duleep Trophy final between India Blue and India Red. “Sure, it does hurt me, but I channel the hurt to keep getting better; I don’t let it bog me down. That’s how I work.”Like, when I was left out for the T20s – of course I wanted to be in the playing XI. So, that required me to do better. So, I thought, ‘OK man, I have to raise my standards. As simple as that.’ I don’t look outside; I look inside and say, ‘I will have to do this, I will do it.'”Dhawan also said his motivation to do well increased with time, and that age didn’t have a bearing on it. “It depends on your desire [to do well], how much you love the game and what goals you have.”With the emergence of KL Rahul, India have had the luxury of opting for any two of three potential openers – Rahul, Dhawan and M Vijay – and the team used all possible pairings during the West Indies Tests. Dhawan’s middling returns have coincided with a breakout season for Rahul – he scored 236 runs, including a hundred, from three Test innings, before smashing an unbeaten 51-ball 110 in the first T20I in Florida.Dhawan agreed that the competition for the opening spots had intensified, and that it had kept every player on his toes in the lead-up to a long home season. “It is a good thing. [One needs to give it one’s all to keep one’s place in the side],” he said.”Rahul, anyway has done quite well in Test matches and T20s, so if you look at the bigger picture it’s very good for India that there are three or four openers pushing one another, as well as openers in the domestic circuit who are also pushing for places. Such competition ensures each individual keeps working hard.”With the first Test against New Zealand in Kanpur set to begin in a little over a week, Dhawan said he was preparing well and getting physically and mentally stronger. Asked if there was any specific preparation involved, he replied with a laugh: “I am batting for 40 minutes [in the nets].”Dhawan was also appreciative of head coach Anil Kumble’s cricketing smarts, and said he was learning from him the importance of hard graft. “It’s been great having Anil around. Of course, he is a great legend,” he said. “He is so well educated and obviously has a sharp brain. He has great cricketing intelligence as well, so you obviously learn a lot for him – be it the dedication and hard grind he brought to his game, or the aggressive mindset with which he played.”Dhawan, who turned out for India Red who lost the Duleep Trophy final to India Blue, said the tournament provided useful game-time ahead of a busy season. “It’s quite useful because I believe practice in the form of matches is always good as it gives you a feel of the pressure,” he said. “Especially, after you field for two successive days, your body also loosens up and you get a good vibe. So, you take that confidence forward.”

'Could be start of something special' – Klinger

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

Alan Gardner20-Sep-2015Romance and drama. Gloucestershire’s Royal London Cup victory had great big dollops of those two vital ingredients. As they inexorably undermined Surrey’s run chase to secure the prize in the final over, it was tempting to imagine that the competition had regained, if only temporarily, some of the prestige the domestic one-day cups enjoyed during Gloucestershire’s period of dominance between 1999 and 2004.There were stories aplenty on both sides. Jade Dernbach’s hat-trick and career-best figures, the bowling of 40-year-old Azhar Mahmood and, at the other end of his career, 17-year-old Sam Curran’s valiant attempt to get Surrey over the line. For the victors, Geraint Jones’ fairytale send-off, the all-round contributions of Jack Taylor – who was banned from bowling two years ago and faced the uncertainty of having to remodel his action – and the stunning triumph of an unheralded collective.Gloucestershire had been glibly characterised as a one-man team in the build-up, dependent on their captain and opening batsman Michael Klinger. The Australian’s personal tale is also a stirring one but his dismissal in the first over of the match meant Gloucestershire had to win their ninth Lord’s final out of ten the hard way.The manner in which they scrapped their way to a par score, based around the nous of an old-stager in Jones, and then throttled their opponents in the field was reminiscent of the Gloucestershire teams led by Mark Alleyne more than a decade ago. Klinger, who has agreed another two-year contract with the club, now has the chance to try and create a dynasty of his own.

Victory ‘surreal’ admits Dawson

Gloucestershire head coach Richard Dawson said it would take a while for his team’s dramatic victory over Surrey to sink in. Gloucestershire held on in a tight finish to win by six runs and claim their first trophy since 2004.
“It is brilliant, it is an amazing feat from the players,” Dawson said. “They take a lot of credit, in fact they take all the credit.
“It was one of those things where you get on a roll and you think get past the quarter-final, get up to Yorkshire, get past Yorkshire and you end up here. It is all a bit surreal. I’m sure it will sink in the next few days.
“There is a lot of talent in the changing room. Being led by Michael especially, leading from the front with the bat and showing commitment coming back from Australia. We have had to call on the squad when there was injuries and people stood up and performed.
“That has been the best thing about the whole tournament, we have asked people to do a job and they have come in and nailed it away.”

“You don’t want to look too far ahead but it could be the making of something special,” he said. “Each team will get better and we need to get better so there is a lot of hard work to do. In this comp, unlike sometimes in the T20, we’ve performed really well under the pump.”Knowing we can win in high pressure situations will serve the team well. It’s fantastic for the whole club – the supporters, the members, those who work in the office – 11 years without a trophy, this will lift everyone going forward. It’s a big achievement for the club and proud to be part of it.”Although Gloucestershire finished second in Group A, behind Surrey, their lack of recent success in limited-overs knockout competition meant they were largely unfancied. A narrow victory over Hampshire – winners of the 40-over Clydesdale Bank trophy in 2012 – in the last eight was followed by a more emphatic, Klinger-led triumph at Headingley against county champions Yorkshire to send them back to Lord’s.Success has come in Gloucestershire’s first season under the new coaching team of Richard Dawson and Ian Harvey, and while Klinger admitted it was perhaps ahead of schedule he sensed it was something the group was ready for.”You could probably say it’s come a little bit quicker, but I said to the boys before the quarter-final sometimes you win them before you are ready – sometimes it’s your time. I tried to put that message across, that it’s our time. Now it’s a great opportunity to build on that over the next couple of years and hopefully it will be a stepping stone. The previous coaching group worked really hard and now Richard Dawson and Ian Harvey have been brilliant and taken us to another level. The players have a willingness to work. It’s a very proud moment to see how we’ve progressed.”Despite making a duck Klinger still finished atop the run-scoring charts, as his players successfully muzzled Jason Roy, Steven Davies and, after a clinical half-century seemed to have put Surrey on their way, Kumar Sangakkara. Without his runs to rely on, it made Gloucestershire’s victory all the more impressive.”I was just disappointed I didn’t contribute at that stage,” Klinger said. “I pride myself on scoring runs in big games, but not today but that’s how cricket works. I was still very confident the boys would get the job done. They showed that 220 was just enough. To be honest I don’t think anyone would have cared who did well today, so long as we finished on top.”He also had special praise for Man of the Match, Taylor, whose punchy innings helped Gloucestershire up to what turned out to be a winning score. He then took the crucial wickets of Sangakkara and Rory Burns in his 3 for 43 and held on to the final catch as Lord’s erupted in an outburst of west country pride.”Not only today, but all year in all formats – particularly the T20 and one-day stuff. He’s won us games with the bat, his bowling has been very consistent and his fielding has improved a lot in the last two years. He’s a serious all-round package. Today, under pressure, he got the job done. That cameo he played got us a total we needed. Then to bowl like he did was fantastic.”