COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, Swalec Stadium:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY THREE: Glamorgan 410 and 169-8, Gloucestershire 286 (Glamorgan 8pts, Gloucestershire 5pts)
16-19 September 2009

Kirby is Gloucestershire's leading wicket-taker this summer

Steve Kirby and Jon Lewis both took three wickets to give Gloucestershire an outside chance of pushing for victory on the final day in Cardiff.

After resuming day three on 251-7, Gloucestershire could only add 35 more, despite 50 from Richard Dawson, to concede a first-innings lead of 124.

But Kirby claimed 3-44 and Lewis 3-47 as Glamorgan closed on 169-8 to take a lead of 293 into the final day.

Gareth Rees hit 43 and Michael Powell 40 for the home side.

And with Robert Croft unbeaten on 21, Glamorgan will still fancy their chances of setting Gloucestershire more than 300 to win.

With Essex having beaten Northants by four wickets to go second in Division Two, both sides need a positive result to stay in the promotion race.

And at the start of play, Glamorgan were very much in the box seat at Gloucestershire began still needing 10 more to avoid the follow on.

It appeared they might not make it when Garnett Kruger bowled Lewis to the third ball of the day, but Dawson saw them past the target before falling to James Harris, who finished with 4-69.

Glamorgan lost opener Mark Cosgrove early on, caught in the gully off Kirby, and Will Bragg to leave them 49-2.

But they extended their lead past 200 before wickets began to fall at regular intervals.

Rees fell lbw to Dawson's fourth ball, and Jamie Dalrymple edged Kirby to first slip after passing 1,000 first-class runs for the summer.

A one-handed catch by Chris Taylor off Lewis accounted for Jim Allenby to leave Glamorgan 105-5.

Powell fell after tea to a smart Will Porterfield catch at backward point off Lewis, before Dawson immediately bowled Mark Wallace and Kirby claimed the scalp of Harris to leave the home side 156-8.

But Croft and Dean Cosker were unbeaten as bad light forced an early close, with their side still in the best position to force a win.

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