Zafar Gohar in eleventh heaven as he spins Gloucestershire to two-day win
Pakistan left-arm spinner returns match figures of 11 for 101 as Durham slip to heavy defeat
ECB Reporters Network
22-Sep-2021
Zafar Gohar belts out an appeal • Getty Images
Gloucestershire 218 (van Buuren 62, Trevaskis 5-78) and 54 for 3 beat Durham 140 (Gohar 5-50) and 131 (Gohar 6-51) by seven wickets
Zafar Gohar ran through Durham for a second time in two days with 6 for 51 as Gloucestershire romped to a seven-wicket win over Durham at Bristol.
After his first-innings 5 for 50 and a merry 30 that earned a batting point, Gohar's left-arm spin wrecked Durham's second innings too, after they trailed by 78, as the visitors were swept away for only 131.
It left just 54 to be knocked off in the sunshine and with 12 to win, Gohar was sent out to seal victory, only to fall for a third-ball duck sweeping Liam Trevaskis to deep square.
Soon after, Gloucestershire closed out an eighth victory - their most in a campaign since 1998 and the most wins of any county this summer.
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Frustratingly, it was only good enough to finish second in Division Two of the LV= Insurance Championship and effectively eighth in the country. It was just a third defeat of the season for Durham and their first since May.
They again had no answer to Gohar. He began by beating Alex Lees' inside edge to trap him lbw and won another leg-before against Scott Borthwick, the left-hander trying to defend on the back foot but beaten by sharp turn out of the footholds. David Bedingham also fell lbw, misreading the flight and beaten on the inside edge.
Paul Coughlin was 2 from 20 balls when he swiped and miscued to cover and when Graham Clark played for turn and was bowled, Gohar had 10 wickets in a match for the third time in his career.
His 11th scalp was one of the more bizarre he has taken. Trevaskis, on 3, sweetly timed a sweep but directly into the helmet of the ducking Tom Lace at short leg. The ball rebounded gently into the gloves of James Bracey.
WICKET!
— Gloucestershire Cricket (@Gloscricket) September 22, 2021
It's a wicket for Gloucestershire but there is some concern for Tom Lace as the ball ricocheted off his helmet and into Bracey's gloves.
It's a wicket for Zafar, Trevaskis is out for 3 and Durham are 87/8
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Graeme van Buuren finished Durham off in 10 balls. Matty Potts played outside the line and was lbw for 14 before Chris Rushworth had a good old mow to leg, missed and was bowled for a five-ball duck.
In the morning, Gloucestershire were seven down and only eight ahead but George Scott made 21 and Tom Price 16 to increase the lead before Gohar began a memorable day by striking five boundaries from No. 10 to gain an extra point.
The only bright spot for Durham was Trevaskis completing a maiden first-class five-for as Price's wicket gave him 5 for 78.