James Bracey played a pivotal role in Gloucestershire’s thrilling four-wicket victory over Nottinghamshire Outlaws in the Metro Bank One Day Cup at the College Ground, Cheltenham. The left-handed batsman scored a commanding 103, anchoring a dominant second-wicket partnership of 153 runs with Ollie Price, who contributed 59. Later, Joe Phillips provided vital support with an unbeaten 61 as Gloucestershire chased down a challenging target of 280 with five balls to spare.
After losing the toss, Nottinghamshire posted a competitive total of 279 all out in 48.3 overs. Notable contributions included 85 runs each from Haseeb Hameed and Kyle Verreynne. However, Gloucestershire bowlers Aman Rao and Marchant de Lange were instrumental in restricting the Outlaws, claiming figures of 4-44 and 3-37 respectively.
Nottinghamshire began solidly with Ben Martindale and Freddie McCann putting on 50 runs inside 11 overs. But Gloucestershire fightback came swiftly, with Ollie Price taking three wickets for 20 runs, dismissing McCann, Tayyab Tahir, and Martindale in a crucial spell. Despite early setbacks at 72 for three, Hameed and Verreynne steadied the innings, compiling 100 runs for the fourth wicket, before a late collapse saw Nottinghamshire lose their last six wickets for just 12 runs.
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Gloucestershire’s chase started positively, with Bracey and Price negotiating the new ball carefully. Bracey reached his half-century off 52 balls, combining assertive strokeplay with calculated aggression. Price also impressed, passing 50 off 72 deliveries. Their partnership, worth 150 runs, laid a strong foundation for the successful chase.
The match took a dramatic turn when Stone produced a rapid burst of three wickets in seven balls, removing Bracey, Price, and Joseph Eckland and reducing Gloucestershire to 173 for four. However, Joe Phillips and Tommy Boorman responded confidently, adding 68 runs to stead the innings. Despite further wickets falling, Phillips secured his maiden List-A half-century to guide Gloucestershire to a memorable win in front of a sell-out crowd at Cheltenham’s Festival.
The victory highlights Gloucestershire’s resilience and depth, with significant contributions from their top and middle order and disciplined bowling performances.