One-Day Cup: Cockbain ton helps Gloucestershire beat Middlesex

Ian Cockbain was dismissed for a duck in Gloucestershire's first One-Day Cup game of the season against Glamorgan

Ian Cockbain's unbeaten century helped Gloucestershire beat Middlesex by five wickets in the One-Day Cup at Lord's.

Liam Norwell took 5-36 as Middlesex slumped to 114-6 after 23 overs, but Adam Voges (81) and Toby Roland-Jones (65) helped the hosts recover.

Steven Finn also hit 21 from 14 balls as Middlesex made 256-9, and the visitors struggled in their reply.

Gloucestershire fell to 65-5, but Cockbain's 108 from 123 balls led them to victory with five balls to spare.

Benny Howell also hit 86 from 71 deliveries for the West Country side in an unbroken 192-run sixth-wicket partnership.

Tom Helm outshone England seamer Finn (0-59) with economical bowling figures of 1-31 from nine overs, but his efforts were in vain as Cockbain struck Ryan Higgins for six to secure victory.

Middlesex have yet to win in the One-Day Cup this season after their opening game with Sussex was abandoned because of rain, while Gloucestershire lost their first 50-over contest against Glamorgan.

Middlesex bowler Tom Helm told BBC Radio London:

"We did very well to get to where we were and we thought we had a very good chance to defend it, but we take our hats off to their guys, they played very well at the end.

"We made a few mistakes towards the end that cost us, but we'll learn from that and hopefully do better next week.

"We're not naive enough to think we should have won that game, they are allowed to play well, but it's disappointing nonetheless."

Gloucestershire centurion Ian Cockbain told BBC Radio Bristol:

"It did seem a long way away. We just tried to take it as deep as we could and hope to be in touching distance when the last 10 overs came.

"If me or Benny got out then the game was almost done and dusted, which was a big factor in the way I batted. Benny struck it beautifully from ball one which took some of the pressure off me.

"We need to get wins under our belt and hope to take this momentum into our next match against Essex."