da bet7k： Jack Russell celebrates his 37th birthday next month, but there is no signof his talent or enthusiasm waning
Richard Latham23-Jul-2000
Jack Russell – age does not wither his infinite variety
Photo © Stamp Publicity
Jack Russell celebrates his 37th birthday next month, but there is no signof his talent or enthusiasm waning. The former England wicketkeeper took a sensational catch and hit a typically chirpy half-century to ensure Gloucestershire kept up the pressure on Worcestershire and local rivals Somerset at the top of the National League.The home side made it a winning end to the Cheltenham Festival by overhauling Kent’s moderate 199-6 with five wickets and more than four oversto spare.But it didn’t look that easy when skipper Mark Alleyne walked out to joinRussell with his team is some disarray at 109-5.Together the pair built an unbroken stand of 91, with Alleyne contributing35 and Russell ending unbeaten on 55, having faced 60 balls and hit 6 fours.It was one-day batting of the highest quality, helped by some slipshod Kentfielding and a very short boundary on one side of a true pitch.Russell was at his impish best, sprinkling his innings with sweetly-timedstrokes, but also scampering every possible run while building his scorewith some characteristic deflections and improvised shots.His form behind the stumps remains exemplary and his ability to stand up tothe stumps to Gloucestershire’s seam bowlers is one of the key elements thathas made them into such a formidable limited overs team.But it was standing back to James Averis that Russell produced theoutstanding moment of this match – a stunning one-handed catch diving fulllength to his right to dismiss danger-man Rahul Dravid after Kent had wonthe toss.The Indian Test star has been in supreme form and had moved menacingly to 16in an opening stand of 34 when getting an edge to a flashing square cut.It was a crucial dismissal. Although Alan Wells capitalised on the shortboundary to hit two towering sixes in his 38, Kent were never able todominate the bowling.Just when they had worked a good position at 103-2 off-spinner Martyn Ballstruck twice in the same over to send back Wells and James Hockley, who hadadded 67 for the third wicket.Matthew Walker and Paul Nixon fell cheaply and it was left to Mark Ealham,back from England duty, to ensure a respectable total with an unbeaten 49off 52-balls.Gloucestershire suffered an early setback when Tim Hancock fell to MartinMcCague, but the pace bowler proved erratic and his first three overs cost26 runs.Ian Harvey came out swinging and smashed 9 boundaries in making 41 off just36 deliveries before being bowled attempting another big hit off MatthewFleming.Opener Dominic Hewson needed a couple of escapes in contributing a valuable45, but when he fell in a spell of ten overs that also brought thedismissals of Jeremy Snape and Matt Windows, Kent were right back in thegame.Russell and Alleyne soon extinguished their hopes, but it was in the bowlingand fielding departments that Gloucestershire really excelled.Skipper Alleyne said: “We were always confident after restricting Kent to199. It was a good track and from then on all we had to do was avoid beingbowled out.”