A spectacular one-handed gloveless catch has sealed a rare tie in the second-tier English county championship match between Marnus Labuschagne‘s Glamorgan and Cameron Bancroft‘s Gloucestershire.
Chasing 593 to win, Glamorgan began the final over needing just two runs to set a new world record.
Ajeet Singh bowled four dot balls to Mason Crane before the former England fast bowler scored a single off the second last ball to level the scores.
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That left No.11 Jamie McIlroy with the chance to be the hero. He tried to hoick a short-ish delivery over midwicket, but got a thick edge.
Wicketkeeper James Bracey was starting to move towards the leg-side and was wrong-footed by the edge. He had also taken his right glove off in preparation for a potential throw at the stumps, but still managed a spectacular grab with his gloveless hand.
It sparked wild celebratory scenes from Bracey and his Gloucestershire, who appeared to be celebrating as if they’d won the match. It was the first tied county match in six years.
Had Glamorgan scored the winning run, it would’ve surpassed the 536 chased by West Zone against South Zone in a Duleep Trophy match in India in February 2010 as the highest ever successful run chase.
The score was still the highest fourth-innings total in a first class match since 1949.
“I’m extremely disappointed to be honest, we should probably have won the game, though as it settles in we’ll probably see it as eight points gained going into the last ball rather than eight lost,” Bracey told BBC Bristol Sport.
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“We’ll look at it as a positive and there’s still a long way to go in the campaign so we’re gunning for the top two spots.
“(After the first innings) you wouldn’t have seen it going to the last ball with a chase close to 600, so it’s pretty remarkable on all counts.
“You’d probably say eight points each is very fair.”
Having won the toss and sent Gloucestershire in, the Welsh side bowled the hosts out for 179 in less than 45 overs. Glamorgan were themselves then bowled out for 197.
In its second dig, Gloucestershire was reduced to 2-17 before Aussie Cameron Bancroft and Miles Hammond put on 201 for the third wicket when the latter was out for 121.
Bancroft and Bracey then put on 253 for the fifth wicket. Bancroft was eventually out for 184, while Bracey was 204 not out. Bracey also took 10 catches for the match.
In the chase, Labuschagne made 119 and Sam Northeast 187.