LV COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, Bristol:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY ONE: Gloucestershire 314-6
Gloucs 3pts, Leics 2pts
Match scorecard
 Gidman fell one short of his 16th first-class century |
Alex Gidman fell one short of a century but Gloucestershire dominated the opening day of their Championship game against Leicestershire at Nevil Road. Gidman was at the crease for over three hours before becoming one of three victims for Matthew Hoggard. Hoggard was the star Leicestershire bowler as he finished the day with figures of 3-49 in 19 overs. Gidman was supported by Hamish Marshall (86) and Chris Taylor (62) as Gloucestershire closed on 314-6. Gloucestershire's total had looked beyond them after Gidman lost the toss and quickly saw his slide slump to 8-2. Hoggard took the wickets of Jonathan Batty and William Porterfield in an opening six-over spell of 2-10.  | 606: DEBATE |
England Under-19 international Chris Dent (34) has been used to walking out with his team in a state of adversity this season, and showed good temperament to add 66 for the third wicket with Marshall, before falling to Claude Henderson (1-44). Gidman and Marshall then steadied the ship with a fourth-wicket stand of 138 to overcome overcome the early setbacks. A combined total of 43 wickets had fallen on the first days of Gloucestershire's previous two Championship games at Bristol, both of which ended in defeat for the home side, and neither yielding a single batting point to either team. Gidman was on 74 at tea but, having previously played with great fluency, he began to look more sketchy as he approached his hundred. Hoggard may have sensed that as pitched his second delivery with the second new ball short and Gidman top-edged a pull shot to Harris, who took a good tumbling catch running in from fine leg. The crestfallen Gidman had faced 183 balls and hit 10 fours but his good work didn't go to waste as Taylor accelerated towards a half-century off 90 balls, with nine fours, before gloving a leg-side catch to wicketkeeper Tom New off Nathan Buck.
| 
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
Bookmark with:
What are these?