Bristol (second day of four): Derbyshire, with five second-innings wickets in hand, are 12 runs ahead of Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire’s administrative staff drank champagne beyond the boundary in celebration of having a future, after all, at their County Ground. Persuading Bristol City Council to let them remain in situ through a redevelopment that will enable the staging of international cricket has cost £900,000 thus far, but unquestionably they believe this to be worth it.
Work on 147 dwellings within an apartment block opposite the pavilion will commence in September and the intention is that all the building will be completed in time to stage a one-day fixture at the ground between England and India in 2014.
On the field, Gloucestershire were not faring too badly, either. A century by Alex Gidman enabled them to gain a first innings lead of 199 over Derbyshire, who then batted rather better second time round. Wayne Madsen made 72, Dan Redfern an unbeaten 64 and Martin Guptill 42, all of which meant that the match would go into a third day.
Gidman, who had made just one half century this season, drove with renewed belief in taking his overnight score of 72 to a century off 196 balls. If he received scant support from anyone else, that was in part because Chris Dent batted with a broken finger and his brother, Will Gidman, was one of Tony Palladino’s four victims. The captain had made 129 when he over-balanced slightly in the crease and was leg-before to Tim Groenewald.
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After Derbyshire went in, they soon lost Matt Lineker, driving airily at Will Gidman, and Guptill, who also gave his wicket away by swiping at a ball wide of off stump and edging to Jon Batty. The wicketkeeper took a further catch when Wes Durston attempted to steer Gidman through the slips. Madsen, though, remained. Indeed, he and Redfern added 97 without too much concern until Madsen was leg-before, on the front foot, to Gidman.
Derbyshire
First Innings 95 (W R S Gidman 4 for 29)
Second Innings M J Guptill c Batty b Saxelby 42
M S Lineker c Howell b W R S Gidman 8
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*W L Madsen lbw b W R S Gidman 72
W J Durston c Batty b W R S Gidman 7
D J Redfern not out 64
R A Whiteley c Batty b W R S Gidman 11
D J Wainwright not out 0
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Extras (lb 7) 7 Total (5 wkts, 60.1 overs) 211
Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-78, 3-91, 4-188, 5-204.
Bowling: W R S Gidman 16-3-39-4; Saxelby 12.1-2-32-1; Payne 14-2-58-0; Norwell 12-1-42-0; Howell 3-0-18-0; Williamson 3-0-15-0.
Gloucestershire
First Innings (overnight 182-5)
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* A P R Gidman lbw b Groenewald 129
I A Cockbain c Poynton b Palladino 4
C D J Dent c Redfern b Clare 7
W R S Gidman lbw b Palladino 8
I D Saxelby not out17 D A Payne b Palladino 16
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Extras (lb 4, w 1, nb 8) 13
Total (92.3 overs) 294
Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-28, 3-109, 4-172, 5-174, 6-189, 7-214, 8-255, 9-277.
Bowling: Palladino 25.3-5-84-4; Groenewald 20-5-66-3; Whiteley 12-3-38-2; Clare 15-2-41-1; Wainwright 19-2-59-0; Durston 1-0-2-0.
Umpires: S A Garratt and G Sharp.