Even more positives as Glos complete solid victory over the pointless Unicorns

Gloucestershire 195 - 6 beat Unicorns 171 - 9 by 24 runs.

With the death of Osama Bin Laden, the Jessop Tavern View's usual source of match day information seems to have dried up, with no highlights on offer, nor even the usually stoic Glos la la la uttering a single word on today's victory. Is there a connection between the death of the world's most wanted man and a lack of Gloucestershire match reports? We'll keep you posted. It is, therefore, hard to really pass too much comment on today's performance. But a lack of hard evidence has never stopped us from forming opinions before, so why start now?

Gloucestershire made it two wins from two in a competition that is a complete waste of everybody's time (unless you win it). 40 overs. Only the group winners and a single second place team progress from 3 groups of 7 teams leading to hundreds of dead rubbers. Really, who the hell thinks up these competitions. A small child can see the flaws in it. Anyway, a win is a win.

David Payne looks a wicket taker. Always a good quality in a young bowler. His 3 for 6 at the start of the Unicorns innings effectively settled the contest.

Chris Taylor finally turned his early season good form into a hundred and he has responded well to the possibility of his place coming under threat.

Kane Williamson played an intelligent knock, something that hasn't been seen at Nevil Road since.....?! Coming in at a crunch time after early wickets had fallen he shared a century partnership with 'the kid' Taylor that made sure that Gloucestershire's score managed to get up to a total always likely to be too much against a weak Unicorns side.

Will Gidman continues to look like the better brother and could perhaps fulfill the allround talents that older brother never did.

Ed Young apparently bowled very tidily which will please our friends at Glos la la la who wish to see him or Jack Taylor given a chance ahead of Vikram Banerjee. Presumably both Young and Taylor will be given the one day games in order to prepare them for the toil of championship cricket. Personally we agree with Glos la la la. If you are going with youth, let's go all the way.

The most encouraging thing from this game is that intelligent, heads up cricket seems to have returned to Gloucestershire. After early wickets we seemed to have settled on a score around 200 and then made sure we got there. We then applied early pressure in the field and hey presto, another victory.

Sounds a bit like a formula we've seen before round these parts.

Preview: Gloucestershire v Unicorns

Right, the Unicorns. Who exactly are they? Only in county cricket can you find yourself playing against a team where you don't really know how they came into existence. They have no fixed ground. They have a bizarre squad of youngsters and journeymen. They were originally called the 'ECB Recreation XI'. What is the point in them existing?

Ok, I realise that their rationale is to be a 'blend of youth and experience', 'providing young players who aspire to play first class cricket a shop window'. Now try these names for size. Jackson Thompson, Mark Hardinges, Carl Greenidge. I presume all Gloucestershire fans are shuddering at the thought of exactly what knowledge and experience these names can pass on to any youngsters. Here's another terrifying thought. All the players in the Unicorns squad had to audition to play. Can you imagine how bad some of the other auditionees must have been? Crikey. If a team is suppose to be giving youth a chance then surely it should be full of youngsters who haven't quite made it to first class level yet. Not a team full of people who got to first class level and clearly weren't good enough. It's hardly as if county cricket needs another team full of journeymen.

Even better, on the Unicorns website home page their title reads, 'Unicorns looking for players', with a link to an application form. I kid you not. I repeat. Only in county cricket.

Sadly the head-banded-one (son of Gordon) will not be playing for the Unicorns tomorrow, or the rest of the season. He quit the squad when he realised he wasn't going to get paid. Well Carl, good luck finding someone to pay you.

Tomorrow will also see Kane Williamson finally make his debut. Rumour has it that he will bat at 4 or 5 tomorrow and that the gym members were particularly impressed by a Pilates class he ran this afternoon.

So good luck to Kane from the Jessop Tavern View, and here is hoping that we are not sat here tomorrow eating our words via a violent Jackson Thompson assault.