Rothesay County Championship, Division Two, cinch County Ground, Northampton (day four)

Northamptonshire 465 & 191-3: Harrison 92*, Zaib 34*, Vasconcelos 33

Gloucestershire 268 & 367 (f/o): Bracey 137*, Bancroft 64; Sales 3-57, Guthrie 3-89

Northants (23pts) beat Gloucestershire (3 pts) by seven wickets

Match scorecard

Calvin Harrison blazed 92 off 100 balls to propel Northamptonshire to a dramatic seven-wicket victory over Gloucestershire on the final evening of their County Championship match at Wantage Road.

Harrison unleashed three huge sixes and seven fours and was joined by Saif Zaib (34 not out) in a quickfire fourth-wicket stand of 101 runs off 72 balls as the hosts chased down a target of 191 to win off 36 overs with 13 balls to spare.

Earlier James Bracey scored a magnificent unbeaten century which helped set up the run chase and extend the match into the final session.

Bracey’s 148 was his second century of the season and only Gloucestershire’s third three-figure score of the summer.

It followed his 72 in the first innings and his runs were largely responsible for keeping Gloucestershire in the game as he extended his overnight eighth-wicket partnership with Daz Ahmed to 83.

Northamptonshire appeared in control overnight with Gloucestershire seven wickets down following on, but Bracey continued accumulating as the game drifted for a time against a tired-looking bowling attack, who had been in the field for almost three days.

Gloucestershire, though, were ultimately dismissed for 387, having added a further 123 to their overnight 264-7.

Northamptonshire were behind the required rate in the chase, losing three wickets in the process before Zaib came out to join Harrison and the tempo shifted in thrilling style.

Report by ECB Reporters’ Network, supported by Rothesay.