Middlesex v Gloucestershire: Scores & match report

Match scores (Lord's)

Gloucestershire won by 5 wickets

Middlesex inns: 256-9 (Voges 81, Roland-Jones 65; Norwell 5-36, Howell 3-40)

Gloucestershire inns: 257-5 (Cockbain 108*, Howell 86*; Roland-Jones 2-46, Helm 1-31)

Match report

An unbeaten sixth-wicket 192-run partnership by Ian Cockbain and Benny Howell earned Gloucestershire an improbable Royal London One-Day Cup victory over Middlesex.

The visitors, chasing 257 to win at Lord's, looked like suffering their second defeat in as many matches when they slipped to 65 for five.

But Cockbain, who finished with 108 not out from 123 balls, and Howell (86 not out off 71 balls), chased down the target with a mixture of quick singles and big hits to make sure of victory with five balls and five wickets to spare.

Middlesex had also been indebted to a middle-innings partnership - 111 by Adam Voges (81) and Toby Roland-Jones (65) - but unlike Cockbain and Howell they were unable to bat through the innings.

Middlesex, having elected to bat, had been reduced to 114 for six by Liam Norwell. The in-form 25-year-old, bowling his allotted 10 overs from the start, picked up his fourth five-for of this nascent season for 36 runs.

He ended Paul Stirling's opening salvo (26 from 22 balls) then dismissed a quartet of left-handers.

On a used pitch under overcast conditions, Norwell had four players caught at the wicket or in the slips and bowled John Simpson behind his legs.

However, after Norwell took his sweater, with the hosts 97 for five, Voges rebuilt the innings. The Australian received good support from Roland-Jones and with Steve Finn adding some lusty late blows Middlesex reached 256 for nine.

A tight opening spell by Tom Helm, picking up Phil Mustard and conceding 13 runs off eight overs, restrained the start of Gloucestershire's reply.

When Roland-Jones took the key wicket of Michael Klinger (30), prompting a clatter of wickets, Middlesex seemed set for victory.

But Howell and Cockbain steadied the innings then began bringing down the required rate. Howell launched a trio of sixes high into the Mound Stand, then Cockbain weighed in with some thunderous straight hits.

By the end there was nothing Middlesex could do to staunch the flow of runs - Cockbain appropriately wrapping up the victory with a six.

Earlier there had been a minor scare for the hosts and England when Finn went to ground after what looked an innocuous piece of fielding. After a few minutes treatment the pace bowler walked gingerly off the field.

At that stage he had bowled five overs which, while not troubling the batsmen, appeared to have been delivered without difficulty.

However, it transpired Finn had jarred his knee and was able to return and bowl after a few overs' absence.