Gloucestershire face uphill task

Gloucestershire will have to make history if they are to win in the LV County Championship for the first time this season after Derbyshire set them a victory target of 398 at Derby.

The target would be Gloucestershire's highest ever fourth innings total, beating the 392 for four against Yorkshire at Bristol in 1948 and by the close on day three they were 118 for two.

With 280 still needed, the smart money is on Derbyshire to clinch their fourth victory of the season in Division Two after they batted through until tea on the third day to score 431.

Greg Smith, Tom New and Graham Wagg all made half-centuries on a pitch that had flattened out from the first day when 16 wickets fell.

The weather has also changed from the overcast conditions at the start of the game to unbroken sunshine and it was hard work for the bowlers on a hot day.

Derbyshire went into the third morning on 193 for four, 159 in front, and Smith and New took their stand to 135 before Gloucestershire broke through.

Tom New was one of three batsman to pass fifty in a solid Derbys batting effort against Gloucs

Both batsman had shown good judgement after coming together when the match was still in the balance and they denied the visitors the early success they needed.

Smith reached his 50, which came off 105 balls and included nine fours, before New made his first half-century for Derbyshire since he joined on-loan from neighbours Leicestershire at the beginning of August.

New faced 100 balls and hit seven fours and he moved to 58 before he carved the tireless Steve Kirby to third man four overs before lunch.

Smith looked set for his second first-class century for Derbyshire but he edged Kirby into his stumps on 92, his knock spanning 190 balls and including 17 fours.

With hamstring injury victim Steve Stubbings batting with a runner, Gloucestershire must have fancied their chances of wrapping up the innings but Wagg had other ideas.

He launched into the bowling to pass fifty for the third time this season with his third six, pulled high over midwicket off Richard Dawson.

Wagg had reached his 50 off only 34 balls and he hit another six when he drove David Brown to long off where Anthony Ireland took the catch but stepped over the rope.

Brown got his revenge when Wagg top-edged a pull to be caught at midwicket for 72, which came off 47 balls and included four sixes and seven fours, to end a stand of 75 in 11 overs.

Stubbings had been very much the sleeping partner in the stand, scoring only two, but he had held an end up while his team built a formidable lead.

Derbyshire should have sent back Kadeer Ali in the third over but he was dropped on four by New off Charl Langeveldt and it was another 27 overs before Gloucestershire lost a wicket.

Wagg had switched from seam to left arm spin and he immediately had Will Porterfield caught at short leg for 24 to end an opening stand of 81.

New then made amends for his drop when he held a sharp chance after Wagg got one to jump to remove the dangerous Kadeer for 54.