Bristol (Day three of four, Gloucestershire won toss)

Northamptonshire 349 (D.J. Sales 148, A.J. Hall 58, J. Louw 46, O.J. Newby 5-69)

Gloucestershire 129-2 (Kadeer Ali 63 not out)

Lunch

David Sales reached his third century of the season off the fourth ball of the day, play having not started until 12.15 owing to heavy overnight rain. He flicked Oliver Newby to square leg for his 13th four to take him to this landmark, achieved off 152 balls. Both he and Andrew Hall, his overnight partner, were badly missed in the field: the former at mid on by Jon Lewis and the latter twice when on 47, once at gully and then off a skyer to square leg. Two of these chances went down off the medium pace of Oliver Newby, who again looked the bowler most capable of making a breakthrough. This came when he had Hall well held by Steve Kirby, leaping to his left at mid on, just before lunch. The South Africa all rounder had made 58 with six fours from 124 balls out of a partnership of 141.

Tea

Northamptonshire were finally bowled out for 349 in mid-afternoon, chiefly by Oliver Newby, who finished with career best figures of five for 69. After David Sales had gone, caught at deep square leg off Steve Kirby for 148, made off 213 balls with 19 fours, Newby finished off the innings. He had only taken seven wickets hitherto this season and, even if he takes all ten wickets in Northamptonshire’s second innings, will still return to Lancashire after his loan period ends on Sunday. The other feature of the post-lunch session was an innings of 46 by Johann Louw, one of several South Africans in the Northamptonshire side, who struck his runs off 66 balls with four fours and a straight six. Gloucestershire made a solid start in response.

Close

Kadeer Ali reached a half-century in the final session of the day, off 86 balls with seven fours, as Gloucestershire made reasonable, if insubstantial progress towards reaching Northamptonshire’s first-innings total. He lost William Porterfield, who left a ball outside off stump that still took an edge and was taken by the wicketkeeper.

Hamish Marshall went the same way, in his case through a mistimed pull off Andrew Hall, but Marcus North, playing in his last championship match before joining Australia A under the captaincy of Simon Katich for two matches in India, smote some aggressive shots in typically ebullient style. At the close, when Kadeer had moved on to 63, Gloucestershire were 220 runs behind.

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