London, September 3: Former West Indies captain Courtney Walsh helped bowl Gloucestershire back into contention for their first county championship title yesterday, becoming the season's leading wicket-taker in the process. Walsh's four for 50 gave him match figures of 10 for 86 as Gloucestershire beat Northamptonshire by 10 wickets at bristol in only two days.Bowling the visitors out for just 95 left them with only nine to make for victory. Mike Smith took six for 32 in tandem with Walsh, who now has 89 victims this year, one more than Somerset's Andy Caddick.
His six for 36 in the first innings on Tuesday had been his best figures of the season. The 21 points for victory moved Gloucestershire up from fourth to second in the table, though the other contenders were all in a position to press for victory.England opening batsman Mark Butcher took four wickets for the leaders Surrey as Yorkshire reached 250 for nine before declaring at Headingley, where the first day's play had been wiped out.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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