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• Umpire Sue Redfern makes Blast history as Gloucestershire brush aside Middlesex

  Ollie Price produced a telling performance with both bat and ball to guide Gloucestershire to an emphatic seven-wicket victory over Middlesex in a match which saw umpire Sue Redfern make Vitality Blast history.

  Redfern became the first female umpire to officiate on-field in a Blast fixture as she stood along with Alex Wharf at Bristol’s Seat Unique Stadium, where all-rounder Price led the way for the home side.

  The 21-year-old top scored with 46 and shared in crucial partnerships of 60 with Miles Hammond and 52 with Zafar Gohar as Gloucestershire chased down a target of 140 with 10 balls to spare to register their second win in three days.

  Middlesex have struggled to post big totals in the short format this season and this match was no exception, the visitors struggling to build meaningful partnerships and coming up short on 139 for nine after being put into bat.

  Jack Davies hit a defiant unbeaten 46 and Max Holden contributed a valuable 34 for Middlesex, but veteran left-arm seamer David Payne claimed two for 21 and off-spinner Price two for 18 as Gloucestershire took wickets at regular intervals to keep a lid on things.

  Victorious in three of their last four outings, improving Gloucestershire kept alive their hopes of progressing to the knock-out stages, but Middlesex already look down and out, consigned to the foot of the South Group after losing their opening six games.

  Ben Charlesworth, promoted to open the Gloucestershire innings on the back of his record-breaking 19-ball 50 against Essex last week, was stumped off the bowling of Josh de Caires for 12 as the hosts lost their first wicket with 24 on the board in the fourth over.

  Also pushed up the order, Hammond made a better fist of things as he scored a patient 34 to help guide his side to 84 for one alongside Price before the opener squirted a catch to extra cover off the bowling of Luke Hollman.

  Price and Zafar continued to push Gloucestershire towards victory but, with just four more runs needed to seal the win and also record his maiden T20 50, Price attempted to achieve both with a single blow off Thilan Walallawita, only to over-balance and fall to a sharp stumping by Davies.

  Left to finish things off, Zafar remained unbeaten on 37 from 22 balls, with a six and three fours, while skipper Jack Taylor hit the winning run.

  Gloucestershire performed at the top of their game to reduce Surrey to 29 for four in the powerplay at Bristol 48 hours earlier, and although they unable to emulate that feat on this occasion, they began well enough after sending Middlesex in.

  Payne had Stephen Eskinazi caught for one and the visitors slumped to 20 for two when Joe Cracknell hoisted Danny Lamb to square leg.

  Holden made the most of a let-off, put down at point by Matt Taylor off Zafar with the score on 26, to join forces with Pieter Malan and take Middlesex to 45 for two at the end of the six-over powerplay.

  But Gloucestershire continued to press hard and Price had Malan caught at long-on for a 19-ball 21 and Zafar bowled former team-mate Ryan Higgins for one as Middlesex, struggling to contend with spin from both ends, were reduced to 52 for four.

  Holden’s dismissal at the hands of Price in the 11th over made it 76 for five and although Davies struck a rapid 46 not out, Middlesex were unable to reach 150.

• Joe Root cannot wait to perform in Ashes without burden of captaincy

  Joe Root admitted he will relish the chance to deliver for England and focus purely on playing in his first Ashes series in eight years without the captaincy.

  England made it 11 wins in 13 Tests under the leadership of skipper Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum with a 10-wicket victory over Ireland at Lord’s on Saturday.

  All eyes now turn to the Ashes opener on June 16 and Root, who was man of the series on home soil in 2015 with 460 runs, is excited after leading England during the last three red-ball battles with Australia.

  “It’s going to be nice, yeah,” the Yorkshireman said.

  “It’s going to be nice to just go and play the game and try and assist where I can for Ben and for the other guys around, play a slightly different senior role in the team.

  “They’re always great fun to be a part of, these big games, big series. They’re the ones you want to stand up and play well and it’s just an opportunity to do that again.

  “I think my batting has been fine for a while, but mentally to be able to just turn up and play and have fun, just chat batting with some of the younger guys.

  “Obviously (I’ll) try and help out where I can but Ben knows what he’s doing.

  “He’s got enough behind him now to give himself the encouragement and confidence to make those big calls on his own, as you’d expect him to anyway. He’s doing a far better job than I did.”

  The majority of England’s team were also part of the 4-0 defeat Down Under in 2021, but opener Ben Duckett and Harry Brook are set to experience their first taste of Ashes cricket at Edgbaston.

  Asked what advice he could give them, Root was unable to play down the life-changing aspect of beating Australia with this upcoming series generating a similar level of excitement to the memorable 2005 instalment.

  Root said: “Most importantly is not to over-egg it and that’s probably one of the things that you have to keep in mind.

  “There will be a lot more attention, there will be a lot more noise, there will be a lot more hype around it. There will be people that might not normally be interested in cricket very interested in cricket for five or six weeks.

  “It’s the same game. As soon as the bowler lets go of it, it’s you against the ball. Just go and play as you’ve been playing for the last 12 months and when it goes well, enjoy everything that comes with it.

  “If you’re successful in Ashes cricket it can set you up for life really, not just the rest of your career but beyond it. It’s an opportunity to go and make history and hopefully have an incredible two months of it as a group.”

  Root’s own preparation for this monumental series had been far from ideal before his 56 against Ireland.

  The Yorkshire batter decided against playing County Championship cricket during April and May after he secured a first Indian Premier League contract, but Rajasthan Royals only selected him on three occasions and he batted just once in the tournament.

  Nevertheless, the 32-year-old was philosophical about his experience in India.

   

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  “Championship cricket is the bedrock of our domestic game and I am not trying to bag it with what I say here,” Root explained.

  “I am not saying it’s not important or a good standard. For where I am in my career, am I going to learn more about myself in that environment?

  “Am I really going to be prepared better for an Ashes series facing lower pace bowling on some nibbly wickets when hopefully we will play on good pitches against high pace and a high quality spinner? I don’t think so.

  “By learning and experiencing something new, talking and discussing the game with greats like Kumar Sangakkara and Brian Lara, other players and ex-players about just batting in general, Test cricket, I thought that not just for the Ashes, but the rest of the year for me it would set me up best to perform well and get the best out of myself. I feel ready.”

• Huge blow for England with spinner Jack Leach ruled out of Ashes

  England’s Ashes preparation has been rocked after spinner Jack Leach was ruled out of the series with a back stress fracture.

  Leach claimed four scalps during England’s 10-wicket victory over Ireland at Lord’s this week, but developed low back symptoms during the match.

  A subsequent scan on Sunday revealed a stress fracture in the lumbar region of the spine, which will rule him out of all five Ashes Tests.

  “Spinner Jack Leach has been ruled out of the LV= Insurance men’s Ashes series with a low back (lumbar) stress fracture,” an England statement said.

  “England will announce a replacement for the Ashes series in due course.”