Worcestershire v Gloucestershire
LV=County Championship
Division Two
Day two at New Road
Gloucestershire look like conceding a first-innings deficit to Worcestershire after the hosts closed the second day's play on 229-6 in reply to 245 all out.
But a generally disappointing day for Gloucestershire ended on a brighter note as three wickets in the last six overs put a different complexion on affairs.
Gloucestershire began the day on 78-3 and Matt Mason quickly accounted for Alex Gidman and Hamish Marshall to leave the visitors on 106-5.
James Franklin and Chris Taylor rallied the innings with a partnership of 67 before Franklin was dismissed by Moeen Ali for 32.
Jon Lewis fell for 14, caught behind off Jack Shantry to the last ball before lunch. Then, after Vikram Banerjee had been dismissed by Ali for a duck, Taylor's fine innings of 71 came to an end when he played on to Alan Richardson.
Steve Kirby, with an unbeaten 15, and Anthony Ireland took Gloucestershire to within sight of a second batting point. But it was not to be as Ireland, on six, was caught by Richard Jones off Shantry.
Worcestershire's innings got off to a brisk start as Daryl Mitchell and Phil Jacques put on 53 in 11 overs before Mitchell was caught by Marshall off Ireland.
Aussie star Jacques became a second victim for Ireland when on 38, and it became 107-3 when Vikram Solanki was caught in the gully by Marshall off Lewis.
That was Gloucestershire's last success for 19 overs as Ali and Alexei Kervezee shared a stand of 107.
But then came that late of flurry of wickets to give Gloucestershire renewed hope. Kervezee was lbw to Lewis for 57, Ben Smith also fell to Lewis for three and Gidman bowled Jones for one. Ali finished the day unbeaten on 70, with 11 fours.
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