LV COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, Lord's:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY TWO: Gloucestershire 268 & 139-7, Middlesex 203
Middlesex 5 pts, Gloucestershire 4 pts
Match scorecard

Skipper Udal was the only Middlesex player to make a half-century

Middlesex skipper Shaun Udal's half century was the batting highlight on a day dominated by the bowlers at Lord's.

Udal came to the crease with the home side in trouble on 124-7, but his innings of 55 saw Middlesex to 203.

Gloucestershire still led by 65 on first innings, Steve Kirby (4-50) being supported by Gemaal Hussain (3-50).

The visitors then closed 204 runs ahead on 139-7 in their second innings. Gareth Berg, Danny Evans and Tim Murtagh each taking two wickets.

Unable to use the heavy roller after winter changes to the playing regulations, Gloucestershire's batsmen then had to take guard again on a pock-marked pitch that, left virtually untouched by the light roller, continued to assist the seamers.

Chris Dent's near two-hour innings of 42 enabled Gloucestershire's lead to be pushed in excess of 200, but the other visiting batsmen struggled.

For the second time in the game, Kadeer Ali was undone by a full-length off-cutter from Iain O'Brien, and then Jonathan Batty reached for a Evans out-swinger on 22.

Four overs after tea, first innings top scorer Hamish Marshall fell cheaply when he edged a steep lifter from Berg to second slip, as the Gloucestershire collapse gathered momentum.

In a flurry of four more wickets, Dent went to a catch at the wicket, Alex Gidman (28) played across a Murtagh off-cutter to go leg before and the same bowler jagged one in off the seam to dismiss Franklin (11) in the same manner.

Berg, who had struggled to find his best line on the opening day, then found another vicious delivery to greet Steve Snell.

Having gone for a second-ball duck in the first innings, Snell completed a pair, fended this one off straight into the hands of Sam Robson at short leg for a golden duck.

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