Date-stamped : 23 Jun97 - 06:17 Middlesex find price of defeat is high By William Gray at Bristol Gloucestershire (232-6) bt Middlesex (177-6) by 55 runs WHILE Gloucestershire were busy denying they are joining the auction to sign Shane Warne, Middlesex were having to stump up money for a different cause. Their slow over rate at Bristol brought them a -L660 fine and shaved two overs off their batting time as they followed a home score of 232 for six. Ambition is being revived after three seasons without a tro- phy, but it has yet to reach out to the Sunday League, where they have now lost six out of eight matches. Apart from 18-year-old Owais Shah, Middlesex never looked like putting down roots on a controversial square after losing their first four wickets in 15 overs, three of them snuggling inside Jack Rus- sell`s gloves. Gloucestershire`s fielding impressed as they held six catches in all to stay in touch with the leaders. Groundsman David Bridle, with a mischievous touch, laid out the stumps on the pitch which caused so much rumpus last week and left Gloucestershire with the threat of losing 10 champi- onship points hanging over them. His actual choice was right alongside his 1994 rogue, 32 years older and as different in character as could be. Both wickets share something of the same vein of cracks but while the new one spits venom its elderly neighbour is mellow slow and rather low. Gloucestershire, winning the toss, lost two quick wickets but then their Australian, Shaun Young, and the veteran Monte Lynch settled into a partnership of 116 which came off 17 overs. Middlesex bravely threw in a quartet of largely untried seam bowlers in Shah, Neil Martin, Tim Bloomfield and Ian Blanchett. All returned respectable figures by holding a straight line and Martin, on- ly 17, took a wicket with his second ball for the senior side when he had Tony Wright leg before. Neither Young nor Lynch bothered with helmets or even caps as they plundered runs. Both reached their half centuries in the 26th over before Jamie Hewitt came back to have Lynch, who hit seven fours off 55 balls for 53, held at the wicket. Young drove and cut firmly, adding a quick 56 with Mark Al- leyne for the next wicket, and he finished on 89 off 94 balls, with a six and nine fours. The Middlesex batting declined rapidly as Jon Lewis sent back Jacques Kallis, Mark Ramprakash and Mike Gatting in his first four overs. Finally Young Shah earned respectability with an unbeaten 65 off 64 balls. It showed what might have been as he put on 76 with He- witt (32) in the final 14 overs. Somerset fell victim to the Duckworth-Lewis System when rain ru- ined their reply to Leicestershire at Bath. Leicestershire made 166 for eight in a match already reduced to 31 overs and the home side were 30 for one from 11 overs when rain returned and they lost on scoring rate. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)