Labuschagne's Glamorgan fall one run short of world record

Marnus Labuschagne has played a key part in one of the most extraordinary matches in the 134-year history of England's County Championship.

The Australian made a century as Glamorgan sought to chase down a victory target of 593.

The match against Gloucestershire – rivals from across the River Severn that divides England and Wales, in which Glamorgan lies – came down to the last delivery after four days play.

Glamorgan had reached 9-592, leaving last man Jamie McIlroy requiring a single off the final ball of the match to achieve the win, and the world record for the highest successful fourth innings run chase.

Gloucestershire wicketkeeper James Bracey, standing back – but not as deep as usual, took off his right glove in case the batters ran a bye and he needed to shy at the stumps.

Ajeet Singh Dale bowled, McIlroy swung and edged, and Bracey took a stunning right-handed catch to spark scenes of mayhem at Cheltenham.

Bracey, who played two Tests for England in 2021, had been wearing pads for more than 225 overs having batted the last 74 of Gloucestershire's second innings when making an unbeaten double century.

Sam Northeast (187) and Labuschagne (119) led Glamorgan's attempt to eclipse the highest first-class run chase of all time, the 536 successfully pursued by West Zone in a Duleep Trophy match against South Zone in India in February 2010.

They failed in that quest but do go into the record books with the highest fourth innings score in any first-class match played in England and the third best of all time.

In the first innings Gloucestershire had been bowled out for 179 and Glamorgan 197. The home side then scored 5(dec)-610, led by Cameron Bancroft's 184 and Bracey's 204no, which at the time seemed more than enough.

The result left both sides mid-table in the second division.

"The boys are pretty down at the moment after getting so close, but what an extraordinary game of cricket, it was special to be a part of it," Glamorgan skipper Northeast told BBC Sport Wales post-match.

"It was a great battle out there and a shame we couldn't come away with the win after getting so close.

"I'm not sure we thought (593) was possible to chase but we very nearly got there.

"We'd gone so far of trying to chase it down that even nine down we were still going to go for it … it was nearly an incredible win."

Gloucestershire's Bracey echoed similar feelings, that it was a game they perhaps let slip.

"Extremely disappointed really, we should have probably won the game in the end," he said.

"As it settles in, we'll probably view it going into the last ball as eight points gained rather than those eight lost.

"Both sides batted really, really well … we wouldn't have foreseen 592 being chased, I don't think they would have set out chasing 592 expecting to chase it either, so fair play to them, that's a pretty good effort.

"You'd probably say that eight points each is a pretty fair (result)."

At Southport, Nathan Lyon's Lancashire couldn't get the final eight wickets needed to send the Australian off-spinner off with a win in his final county appearance of the 2024 season.

Lyon didn't add to his wickets tally on a weather affected day four, finishing with 2-65 from 27 overs as former Melbourne Stars and Renegades recruit Joe Clarke hit an unbeaten 115 to ensure a draw for Nottinghamshire as they finished 4-270 following on.

James Anderson only managed one second innings wicket – New Zealander Will Young caught behind – after his sensational 7-35 in the first innings.

NSW allrounder Chris Green took the only other wicket to fall on the final day, finishing with 1-20 off 15 overs in his County Championship debut.

2024 Division Two County Championship standings

Team	Matches played M	Wins W	Losses L	Ties T	Drawn D	Deductions Ded.	Batting Bonus Bat	Bowling Bonus Bowl	Total points PTS
1 Sussex SSX	14	8	2	0	4	3	40	40	237
2 Yorkshire YRK	14	5	2	0	7	0	41	40	217
3 Middlesex MSX	14	5	2	0	7	0	28	32	196
4 Northamptonshire NOR	14	2	3	0	9	0	22	35	161
5 Leicestershire LEI	14	1	3	0	10	0	28	31	155
6 Glamorgan GLA	14	2	4	1	7	2	22	30	146
7 Gloucestershire GLO	14	2	5	1	5	2	27	29	142
8 Derbyshire DBY	14	1	6	0	6	1	20	31	122

Legend

M: Matches played

W: Wins

L: Losses

T: Ties

D: Drawn

Ded.: Deductions

Bat: Batting Bonus

Bowl: Bowling Bonus

PTS: Total points

Australians in the 2024 County Championship

Durham: Ben Dwarshuis, Ashton Turner (both T20s only)

Essex: Daniel Sams (T20s only)

Glamorgan: Marnus Labuschagne

Gloucestershire: Cameron Bancroft, Beau Webster

Hampshire: Michael Neser, Ben McDermott (T20s only)

Kent: Wes Agar, Charlie Stobo, Xavier Bartlett (T20s only)

Lancashire: Nathan Lyon, Chris Green

Leicestershire: Peter Handscomb, Marcus Harris

Northamptonshire: Chris Tremain (first four matches only), Ashton Agar (T20s only)

Somerset: Matthew Renshaw, Riley Meredith

Surrey: Sean Abbott, Spencer Johnson (T20s only)

Sussex: Nathan McAndrew, Daniel Hughes