Gloucestershire suffer heaviest loss

Gloucestershire suffered the heaviest defeat in their history on the final day of the Vodafone Challenge match at Gloucester yesterday. Mpumelelo Mbangwa, the Zimbabwe pace bowler, caused the damage, claiming four wickets.

Gloucestershire suffered the heaviest defeat in their history on the final day of the Vodafone Challenge match at Gloucester yesterday. Mpumelelo Mbangwa, the Zimbabwe pace bowler, caused the damage, claiming four wickets.

Set a massive 660 for victory, Gloucestershire went from 98 for 4 overnight to 135 for 9 on the final morning, with the injured captain Tim Hancock unable to bat. The 524-run reverse surpassed the 470-run defeat that Sussex inflicted on Gloucestershire at Hove in 1913.

Mbangwa took four of the last five wickets to fall as a depleted Gloucestershire side managed to bat for just 19.5 overs yesterday. Jack Russell offered their best hopes of extending play beyond lunch but he was the sixth man out when he edged a Mbangwa delivery to the acting wicketkeeper Alistair Campbell for 28. Mbangwa, who had already dismissed Michael Cawdron lbw for 19, went on to have Jon Lewis and Tom Cotterell also caught at the wicket.

Bryan Strang took the other wicket to fall on the last day when he had Martyn Ball snapped up at fourth slip by Trevor Gripper.

Mark Butcher batted himself into form as Surrey beat New Zealand A by 24 runs in a one-day game at The Oval. Butcher, who opened, made 89 with nine fours, his first one-day half-century of the season, as Surrey accumulated 249 for 8 from their 50 overs. He put on 108 with Ian Ward for the fifth wicket before Ward was run out for 53.

The most successful of the New Zealand A bowlers was James Hamilton ,who finished with two for 42 from nine overs. The 21-year-old dismissed Nadeem Shahid and Jeremy Batty with successive deliveries. Jason Ratcliffe made 19 from 12 deliveries with one six and a four at the end of the Surrey innings.

When New Zealand batted Carl Greenidge bowled a lively opening spell of eight overs, taking one wicket for 25. At the other end Ben Hollioake was disappointing in taking none for 30 from five overs before being withdrawn. Ian Salisbury came on and in his first spell he took three for 12 in eight overs.

As New Zealand A looked as if they might threaten the total, Adam Hollioake brought Salisbury back on and he had Canning caught to give him his fourth wicket. Adam Hollioake then dismissed Marshall with the score on 172. He was lbw for 78 driving across the line.

New Zealand briefly entertained thoughts of getting the runs, particularly after some spirited late hitting from Bruce Martin, who scored 29 from 30 balls and hit five fours. But once Martin departed, caught by Nadeem Shahid off Ratcliffe's bowling, the New Zealanders played out the rest of their 50 overs, finishing on 225 for 9.