Day 1, Close: Gloucestershire 292-9 v Kent (PTS: Glos 2, Kent 3)
It was all going ever so smoothly. Winning the toss and trotting off for lunch 94 without loss. The Gloucestershire scoreboard resembled that of a proper team. Then nine wickets fell in two sessions to not quite ruin the day but considerable muck was smeared on the overall picture that was so rosy at lunchtime.
Hamish Marshall is back and now Gloucestershire have some experience in the top order. His 72 was most welcome but being well set and getting out was Marshall all over.
Likewise Chris Taylor, settled by his runs in Sunday's one-dayer. 71 for him but out so late in the day you could hear the collective grinding of teeth in the Severn Valley. Another well-done-but-should-have-been-more.
Taylor back tomorrow would have been very nice. Now there is a battle to take a third batting point that simply must be achieved. The collapse of 9-178 would be partially offset by a score of over 300 - the competitive mark for first innings' scores.
Maybe a common feat across the game but Gloucestershire don't half love losing wickets in batches. They lost 3-9, then two more on 167, then 2-7 just as they were winning the day. It ended pretty even.
How did the kids fare? Ian Cockbain made another talent-displaying score without going on to prove too much. Richard Coughtrie failed again worryingly. Ian Saxelby made very useful runs and along with David Payne will hope to bowl well tomorrow to ensure the great start that Gloucestershire threw away does not cost them a first innings deficit.
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