Northamptonshire 465 and 191 for 3 (Harrison 92*) beat Gloucestershire 268 (van Buuren 76, Guthrie 4-50) and 387 (Bracey 148*, Bancroft 64, Sales 3-57, Guthrie 3-89) by seven wickets
Harrison unleashed three huge sixes and seven fours and was joined by Saif Zaib (34 not out) in a quickfire fourth-wicket stand of 101 runs off 72 balls as the hosts chased down a white-ball style target of 191 to win off 36 overs with 13 balls to spare.
Bracey’s innings followed his 72 in the first innings, his combined runs largely responsible for keeping Gloucestershire in the game as he extended his overnight eighth-wicket partnership with Daz Ahmed (40) to 83.
Northamptonshire appeared in control overnight with Gloucestershire seven wickets down following on, but Bracey continued accumulating as the game drifted for a time against a tired-looking bowling attack, who had been in the field for almost three days. Gloucestershire were ultimately dismissed for 387, having added a further 123 today.
Rain delayed the start of play until 12.15pm and Northamptonshire took the new ball as soon as it was due after one over.
A probing Harry Conway found early away movement, but Bracey leaned into three glorious cover drives off Liam Guthrie’s second over, the first bringing up the 50 partnership off 94 balls as Gloucestershire’s lead stretched into three figures.
Ahmed greeted Luke Procter’s arrival at the crease with a firm punch down the ground, but he and Conway built pressure amid three consecutive maidens. Trying to break the shackles, Ahmed fell lbw, playing across the line to a Conway in-swinger.
Procter and Conway maintained pressure after lunch, but Bracey brought up his century during a stand of 36 with Matt Taylor, before Raphy Weatherall angled one into Taylor that shaped away and drew the edge through to the keeper.
But Bracey continued unabated as the game drifted. When Weatherall erred in line, Bracey stroked him silkily through the covers as Gloucestershire eased past 350. Bracey then treated James Sales’ first over with disdain, smacking three consecutive cover boundaries.
But it was Sales who finally wrapped things up when Will Williams drove an away-swinger and nicked behind to the keeper. He finished with three for 57, with three for 89 for Liam Guthrie.
Chasing, Northamptonshire lost Procter early when he chopped on to an impressive Williams, but Ricardo Vasconcelos (33) soon found the ropes, hooking Kristian Clarke for six.
He played Williams fine legside, while new batter Harrison punched the Gloucestershire seamer off the backfoot through cover.
When Vasconcelos pulled Matt Taylor with authority to take the Steelbacks score to 50 in the 12th over, Northamptonshire were motoring, but next ball he played onto his stumps, attempting to withdraw his bat.
Northamptonshire started to garner runs off Taylor though amid signs of acceleration. Nathan McSweeney got off the mark with a firm cover drive and top-edged for four, while Harrison struck firmly down the ground.
But Bracey could not stay out of the game for long and pulled off a stunning one-handed low catch when McSweeney (21) nicked Ahmed behind.
Zaib smashed Ahmed over mid-on, while Harrison pulled him for another boundary to reach his half-century with Northamptonshire going into the last 10 overs needing 70.
In the crucial over, Harrison took on Clarke taking 21 from it. He hooked for an enormous six over the keeper into the top tier of the Turner Stand and followed it up with another six into the Curo Lounge below, before smashing two fours.
Saif Zaib meanwhile cut Graeme van Buuren for four and drove against the spin for another before Harrison swung Clarke for another huge six legside with victory arriving shortly afterwards.
