Gloucestershire v Leicestershire
LV=County Championship Division Two
Day Three. At Bristol.
By Richard Latham
Gloucestershire were left on the brink of their third consecutive LV=County Championship as Leicestershire closed the third day on 282-9 at Bristol.
That gave the visitors a lead of just eight runs after they had followed on and they had last wicket pair Jaques Du Toit and Matthew Hoggard to thank for taking the game into the final day.
Gloucestershire skipper Alex Gidman claimed the extra half hour, but saw the two batsmen survive for 79 balls before bad light ended play with a further four overs due to be bowled.
Barring a day of rain, the home side look certain to wrap up victory in the morning and could go second in the Division Two table.
Leicestershire faced a backs-to-the-wall fight from the start of day three, which began with them 122 without loss, but still 152 behind.
Matt Boyce could add only three to his overnight score of 59 before the ninth ball of the morning saw him caught by Alex Gidman at first slip off Gemaal Hussain.
It was 125-1 and with four runs added there was a break for rain in which eight overs were lost. The total had moved to 150-1 by lunch, with Paul Nixon having progressed from an overnight 50 to 58.
Having added five more to his score after the interval, the veteran wicketkeeper top edged a pull shot off Anthony Ireland (3-84) and was well caught by Will Porterfield at backward square.
Andrew McDonald made only 12 before hooking a short ball from Gidman down the throat of James Franklin at deep square.
Will Jefferson had dropped down the order to number five because of a twisted ankle and had to bat with a runner. He was lbw for nine driving at Jon Lewis to make the score 205 for four.
That was the first over with the second new ball and it soon brought another breakthrough as, without a run added, James Taylor was bowled playing a loose shot at Franklin, having played well for his 39.
Franklin took his second wicket when Tim New, on nine, was caught low in the slips by Chris Dent after edging a drive. At 219 for six with the ball still new, Leicestershire were staring down the barrel of defeat inside three days.
Du Toit and Claude Henderson did their best to avoid that ignominy, putting on 27 before more rain wiped out a further ten overs. That partnership extended to 54 before Henderson (29) cut Anthony Ireland to the diving Chris Taylor at point.
Nathan Buck followed next ball, pushing forward to Ireland. Andrew Harris failed to trouble the scorers, but Du Toit and Hoggard were in stubborn mood and Gloucestershire couldn’t force another breakthrough before the light closed in.
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