Warwickshire’s Ed Barnard starred with both bat and ball as they extended their winning streak in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup to five matches with a six-wicket victory over Gloucestershire at Bristol’s Seat Unique Stadium.
Barnard’s all-round brilliance was on full display as he claimed 3 for 16 to restrict Gloucestershire to 267 in 49.4 overs. The in-form allrounder then anchored Warwickshire’s chase with a match-winning knock of 152 not out from 134 balls.
Barnard’s early wickets put Gloucestershire on the back foot, but Jack Taylor’s unbeaten 139 kept them in the game. Taylor shared crucial partnerships with Ben Charlesworth and Graeme van Buuren to rescue Gloucestershire from a precarious 43 for 4.
However, Barnard’s irrepressible bowling and Tazeem Ali’s career-best figures of 3 for 55 kept Gloucestershire in check. Warwickshire’s spinners, including Ali, Jake Lintott, and Rob Yates, played a significant role in restricting the home side’s scoring rate.
In response, Warwickshire lost early wickets but Barnard and Hamza Shaikh steadied the ship with a 79-run stand. Shaikh’s departure brought Chris Benjamin to the crease, and the duo added a crucial 135 runs for the fifth wicket.
Benjamin’s unbeaten 45 and Barnard’s unwavering concentration saw Warwickshire chase down the target with 2.1 overs to spare. Barnard’s second century in five innings broke Gloucestershire’s resolve and secured a comfortable victory for the visitors.
With this win, Warwickshire remains joint-leaders of Group B alongside Glamorgan. They can virtually guarantee a quarter-final berth by defeating Glamorgan at Edgbaston on Thursday. Gloucestershire, on the other hand, faces an uphill battle to qualify for the knockout stages and will need to beat Sussex in their next game to keep their hopes alive.
