GLOUCESTERSHIRE have won a county championship match at Bristol. The success against Glamorgan has gone a long way towards easing my pain about Forest Green Rovers losing at Wembley.

The cricket victory was done the straight way. Glamorgan were bowled out twice and on the final day spinners Jack Taylor and Graeme van Buuren took seven wickets between them. Craig Miles took the other three and also scored 86 runs without being dismissed.

This victory was very much a team effort and was achieved without Will Tavare or Liam Norwell. The reasons for their absences are not entirely clear. Opening bowler Liam is not playing for ‘medical reasons’ and Will has problems with his knee. Those in high places at the club are being very cagey about what they say.

Much more was said about the T20 Blast on Friday evening. Sussex were declared winners by one run after Duckworth-Lewis calculations.

Such results are always unsatisfactory but this one was especially so. First of all Gloucestershire were penalised six runs for bowling their overs slowly, secondly the umpires took the players off the field without warning the Gloucestershire batsmen, giving them no chance to overtake the Sussex score.

I have no problem with the latter as the laws are quite clear. As far as the slow over-rate was concerned one of the reasons for this was that the Sussex batsmen hit so many huge sixes it took time to retrieve the ball. Perhaps common sense should have prevailed and the umpires been more tolerant. Gloucestershire should have bowled better, however.

Two left arm quick bowlers bowled six overs between them and conceded 104 runs. Having a generous nature I shall not name the culprits. Readers may find it difficult to identify them.

In this technological age newspapers go to print increasingly early. Not in the Echo, Citizen, Western Daily Press, nor in any national daily could I find the Friday night T20 scores. This newspaper’s website does a much better job.

Later starts for T20 matches puts me in a minority. I do not like them. To get to Bristol for 6.30pm means encountering the M4 at its busiest. This is not a life-enhancing experience. Sunday afternoons are much preferable.

There was another exciting win over Welsh cricketing opposition. Gwent lost by 180 runs to Gloucestershire U10s. Two Cirencester youngsters were instrumental in this victory – Ottie Landale and Woody Walker of Cirencester CC scored 45 and 47 respectively.

Team manager Eric Woodmason from Frocester mentioned Ottie’s stroke play and Woody’s powerful batting.

To see two youngsters from our town club making a major contribution to a county age range side indicates the strength of the youth section and is a tribute to the club and its coaches.

Last week I mentioned Phil Carter’s heroic innings, inspiring bus pass holders everywhere. Now another veteran – Dave Taylor – has played an impressive innings of 83 for Fairford.

Will those joint successes cause Dick Tugwell to emerge from retirement? They certainly make me regret giving up at the young age of 43.

New FGR manager Mark Cooper is reshaping the playing squad and seven have already left.

These include club captain David Pipe and full back James Jennings, both of whom made some worthy contributions last season. This shows how uncertain life is for footballers in the lower leagues.

Mark needs to be in action quickly as many good players have already been snapped up. Kenny Davis, for many years the lynchpin of Braintree, has moved to Boreham Wood. He would have been an asset at the New Lawn.

Jilly Cooper, who seems now to be a firm Forest Green fan, once compared watching football to listening to Wagner. “Some dreadful half-hours but some glorious moments,” she said.

Let us hope that under manager Cooper there will be more glorious moments.

There certainly will be glorious moments at the beer festival organised by Poulton Cricket Club and taking place at their ground, England’s.

On the evening of Saturday, May 28, Phil James of South Cerney is appearing again as quiz master.

Phil is a talented poser of improbable questions and in so doing he displays his not inconsiderable acting talents – a bit of Brian Blessed here and Lawrence Olivier there.