Glos under pressure at Derby

DAY 2 Close: Gloucestershire 242 & 47-1 trail Derbyshire 345 by 56 runs (PTS: Glos 4, Derbys 6)
LIVE ball-by-ball commentary on www.gloscricketradio.co.uk

A positive final 10 overs at the start of the Gloucestershire second-inning recovered what had been a particularly poor evening session for the visitors on day two.

Although they lost Steve Snell, bowled between bat and pad for 21, he and Abdul-Kadeer Ali had reduced the deficit considerably by the close as one again, the Derbyshire opening bowlers proved expensive.

Gloucestershire do not enjoy chasing games and having conceded a 103-deficit on first-innings, they are going to have to buck the trend to avoid defeat.

Predictable runs from Chris Rogers, who leads the Derbyshire batting with bags of runs, provided the ideal platform for a large total - Derbyshire have failed with the bat this season when Rogers has failed.

Crucially, Rogers was also able to guide young Chesney Hughes into his innings. The pair shared 134 but Chesney continued his innings and made 118. Beautiful stroke-making, including all the hallmarks of a true West-Indian, and control with the tail were features of his maiden first-class hundred.

He was cruelly run-out backing up after tea when he may well have taken Derbyshire to a fourth batting point.

Gloucestershire didn't deserve the fluke as they had bowled very poorly after tea. Steve Kirby in-particular toiled away for 25 fruitless overs. Vikram Banerjee had twirled them into a decent position. His best spell for some time reduced the home side to 269-7. Banerjee bowled with excellent control and contained the scoring rate - something that he failed to do at Cardiff.

But Tim Groenewald made 34 to push Derbyshire to a commanding lead and only a really determined effort will turn this situation around.

LIVE coverage continues tomorrow on www.gloscricketradio.co.uk

Official report: www.gloscricketradio.co.uk