LV= COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, Bristol:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY ONE: Northants 186 & 34-3 v Gloucestershire 86 (Glos 3pts, Northants 3pts)
Match scorecard

Gemaal Hussain had previously only taken two wickets in first-class cricket

Gloucestershire rookie Gemaal Hussain took the bowling honours at Bristol as a colossal 23 wickets fell in the day.

In only his second game for the county, Hussain took a career-best 5-36 as Northants were bowled out for 186, of which Rob White (95) made over half.

The home side were then routed for just 86, their lowest Championship total in 10 years, David Lucas (4-21) and Andrew Hall (3-17) doing most of the damage.

But Hussain struck once more before the close as Northants slumped to 34-3.

Having taken two wickets in his one previous game against Kent last summer, Hussain, a 26-year-old seamer brought up in east London, enjoyed a seasonal bow to remember.

And his attempts to pick up a few more on Friday will be monitored by ECB pitch inspector Jack Birkenshaw, who is due to return to Nevil Road for the second day's play.

The pitch looked green and the ball both swung and seamed around, particularly in the morning session. But Birkenshaw also noted some poor shots and will defer a decision on whether to report the surface until having had another peek.

Gloucestershire skipper Alex Gidman won the toss, inserting Northants in cold, cloudy conditions.

And, after James Franklin made the first breakthrough, Hussain marked only his second Championship appearance with a spell of 3-8 from five overs, removing Mal Loye, David Sales and Stephen Peters.

But, having come in at 29-3, White launched a brilliant counter-attack. Aided by a couple of spilled chances, he hit five sixes and 10 fours in an exhibition out of all context with the rest of the batting.

By the time he was last man out to give Hussain his fifth victim White had faced 121 deliveries, more than twice as many as any other batsman - and the next highest score in the Northants innings was Peters' 23.

The value of White's innings increased as Gloucestershire showed the same batting frailty that dogged them last season.

Only Hamish Marshall (28 no), Jonathan Batty and Jon Lewis reached double figures.

There were some brilliant catches, notably by Sales in the slips to dismiss Alex Gidman and White at square leg to send back last man Steve Kirby, but the home side only had themselves to blame for a series of poor strokes.

And, when Northants went in again, it was the same story, as Peters, Loye and Vishal Tripathi were all out for the second time in the day.

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