Gloucestershire played host to two international sporting contests yesterday with Scotland meeting Japan in the Rugby World Cup at the Kingsholm ground in Gloucester, whilst in Bristol, it was an England-Wales encounter as Gloucestershire met Glamorgan. As far as the oval-ball game was concerned, Scotland produced a comprehensive victory, but things were more evenly balanced by the close of play at Nevil Road, with Gloucestershire still 190 runs in arrears, but with seven wickets in hand and Chris Dent unbeaten on 102.
After Craig Meschede had completed the interrupted over from last night, Michael Hogan returned at the Ashley Down End, eager to make further inroads into the Gloucestershire line-up and to stifle their ambitions of maximum batting points. Dent began by edging Meschede to third man before cutting him to backward point, but in the third over of the morning, Hogan gained his 48th first-class wicket of the summer as he clean bowled Benny Howell, as the Gloucestershire man opted to shoulder arms to a delivery which cannoned into his stumps.
Having played and missed at several deliveries, Kieran Noema-Barnett then off-drove Hogan but in Meschede's next over, the Kiwi got a leading edge to another delivery, and Andrew Salter at point took a good tumbling catch. 262/5 saw Jack Taylor join Dent and the new man nearly spooned a catch next over to square-leg, but the ball dropped just short of the fielder. He celebrated his good fortune by on-driving Hogan and then striking four fours in an over from Meschede, two through mid-off, one through point, and the other off a thick outside edge to third man.
Taylor then turned his attention to Dewi Penrhyn Jones who had returned to the attack in place of Hogan with his second delivery being despatched like a tracer bullet through the covers, before the next was drilled to the ropes at long-on. Wagg also replaced Meschede and was glanced to fine-leg by Dent as Gloucestershire acquired another batting point. Shortly afterwards, a heavy shower crossed the ground and led to 25 minutes play being lost.
On the resumption, Taylor looked like picking up where he had left off by drilling Penrhyn Jones through the covers, but the bowler, going around the wicket, had the last laugh as Taylor spliced the next delivery as he attempted a pull and Cooke completed the catch with the home side on 315/6. Dent responded by pulling the youngster before despatching him through extra cover. Andrew Salter also had a brief spell before lunch as rainclouds again built up to the north of the ground.
Having reached 333/6 at lunch, Gloucestershire were exactly 100 runs in arrears, and with the new ball three overs away, Glamorgan resumed the afternoon session looking to make further inroads and to secure a first innings lead. But Dewi Penrhyn Jones did not need the new cherry as to the fourth ball after lunch, Tom Smith spliced a short ball and Chris Cooke completed the regulation catch.334/7 nearly became 338/8 as James Fuller edged the young bowler, but Colin Ingram at slip could not quite grasp the edge as it flew above his head.
Michael Hogan and Craig Meschede then returned with the new ball in the 81st over with Dent cover driving the latter to reach his 150. Fuller used the long handle to waft Meschede over extra cover and mid-wicket, before Dent pulled the all-rounder for four to score his 1,000th first-class run of the summer, followed next ball by a fierce cut for four as he posted his best-ever Championship score.
Fuller continued to mix the orthodox with the impish as he straight drove Hogan before cheekily swatting Meschede over the slip cordon for another four. These antics led to Hogan going around the wicket to Fuller before the all-rounder clattered the paceman through the covers as Gloucestershire reached the 400-mark and secured a full clutch of bonus points.
Colin Ingram's leg-spin was then deployed with Fuller lofting him for four to long-on before scything a couple of deliveries to fine-leg for a pair of two's. Dent also cover drove the South African for successive fours before Fuller greeted the return of Wagg by unfurling a flowing cover drive.
Dent duly leg-glanced the left-armer to bring up the century stand and to take Gloucestershire into the lead before an on-driven single against Ingram saw Fuller complete a quixotic fifty from 53 balls. Dent then survived a run out chance as Penrhyn Jones replaced Ingram before Fuller completed his career-best by flaying the youngster to fine-leg as their stand became the highest-ever for the eighth wicket for Gloucestershire against the Welsh county.
Dent then pulled a long-hop from Wagg to mid-wicket before clipping Penrhyn Jones for four, followed by a scampered single as he completed his maiden Championship double-hundred from 274 balls. He celebrated by pulling another short ball from Wagg to fine-leg, before cutting the left-armer for another boundary. Another scampered single brought up the 150-stand before Hogan returned at the Ashley Down End for a spell in tandem with Andrew Salter.
Dent flicked Hogan to fine-leg for four before Gloucestershire reached the 500-mark in the 108th over but next over the stand, which had added 168 runs in 31 overs, came to an end as Fuller lofted Salter to long-on where, after some deft footwork on the boundary's edge, Penrhyn Jones completed the catch.
David Payne joined Dent who scythed Salter to square-leg before lofting Hogan to long-on. Payne then edged Salter to third man before a brace of two's by Dent saw the left-hander complete his 250 in the final over before tea having scored 106 runs in the session.
Gloucestershire continued batting after tea, but Andrew Salter struck in the second over after the interval as he bowled David Payne. Next over, Dent lofted Craig Meschede over long-on for six as his score became the highest in the post-war era for the West Country side against Glamorgan with the opener going past Andrew Symond's unbeaten 254 at Abergavenny in 1995. He bludgeoned two further fours in the over before lofting the ball high to deep mid-wicket where Graham Wagg caught the ball after some nifty footwork in remaining within the playing area to complete the catch.
Jacques Rudolph and James Kettleborough opened the Glamorgan second innings with 27 overs remaining in the day. Rudolph began by guiding David Payne to third man before repeating the steer against James Fuller. He then swatted the latter over mid-wicket for four before pulling him to square-leg, whilst Kettleborough also unleashed a booming on-drive for four against Payne.
Jack Taylor entered the attack in the eighth over and the off-spinner was deftly cut for four and three by Rudolph, before the Glamorgan captain greeted the return of Fuller into the attack by pulling him to the mid-wicket ropes. Kettleborough then cover drove Fuller for four as the fifty came up in the 17th over, before Rudolph greeted Tom Hampton by slashing him through point for four. He also despatched Tom Smith through the covers for four before pulling Hampton for four to complete a 70-ball fifty shortly before the close.
