Harvey cracks fastest ton of the season

Ian Harvey blasted the fastest first-class century of the season as Gloucestershire piled up 418-5 on a one-sided opening day at Bristol.

The Australian all-rounder came in at number five, with the total on 290-3, and proceeded to reach three-figures in just 61 balls, with 6 sixes and 12 fours.

Four of the sixes were pull shots off seamer Graeme Welch, while the other two dispatched spinners Lian Wharton and Nathan Dumelow straight back over their heads.

It was a devastating exhibition. Harvey took 35 deliveries to reach fifty and had faced only 65 balls in his 68-minute innings when bowled by Welch attempting another big hit.

His amazing effort eclipsed an earlier fine innings from opener Dominic Hewson who hit a career-best 168, batting for five minutes short of five hours and hitting 29 boundaries in his 252-ball innings.

For struggling Derbyshire the tone of another disappointing day was set when skipper Michael Di Venuto dropped Hewson at second slip before he had scored in only the third over of the match, sent down by Welch.

Hewson, whose only previous first-class hundred had come against declaration bowling at Derby this season, played with increasing confidence and treated spectators to some sweetly-timed shots, particularly through the off-side.

He eventually fell lbw swinging across a straight ball from left-arm spinner Wharton. But that only brought in Harvey to dominate to such an extent that Kim Barnett contributed only three to a fourth-wicket stand of 95.

Barnett was bowled by Nathan Dumelow, having made 34 of the 52 runs he needed to reach 1,000 for the season. And by the time Harvey had his stumps scattered by Welch, aiming another big hit, Gloucestershire had passed the 400-mark.