DAY 1 Close: Gloucestershire 314-6 v Leicestershire (PTS: Glos 3, Leics 2)
LIVE ball-by-ball commentary on www.gloscricketradio.co.uk
Gloucestershire finally found form with the bat to take their innings into a second day at Bristol - a feat not even contemplated this season, particularly when they lost the toss, were asked to bat and Matthew Hoggard removed Will Porterfield for a duck and Jon Batty for just six.
Second innings runs for Batty are a must, otherwise, with a position required to make way for a spinner in Cardiff, Gloucestershire's new signing may be the one to make way for Vikram Banerjee. He may still be dropped if Steve Snell can make sizable runs here.
Gloucestershire built an innings by the textbook - contributions down the card (save the openers), partnerships, consolidations: it was all there and the home side were well worth their runs.
The major disappointment was failure to convert fifties into hundreds by Hamish Marshall - who received one of few decent deliveries of the day by Andy Harris - and particularly Alex Gidman, who couldn't resist the temptation to pull his way to a hundred despite the threat of two men back for the hook.
Chris Taylor is also in that column, but was slightly unlucky to glove a Nathan Buck bouncer to the wicketkeeper.
The home side should make it four batting points tomorrow - 36 to make in 14 overs - and then can look to build a score of above 400 to stamp their authority on a match for the first time this season.
LIVE coverage continues tomorrow on www.gloscricketradio.co.uk
Official report: www.gloscricket.co.uk
Batty must score runs soon otherwise (as posted) Snell could start.
ReplyDeleteHowever, Louis Gegg is the best keeper in the county and is now scoring runs, let's give him his head.