Duo pull Gloucs from the mire

Chris Taylor's 137 helped boost Gloucestershire from 85 for five © Getty Images

Buy this photo

Chris Taylor and Stephen Snell both scored hundreds to drag Gloucestershire out of trouble on the opening day of their LV County Championship clash with Worcestershire at New Road.

A grim record at their bogey ground – they have lost on the last eight visits in the championship – looked set to continue until the pair put on 222 from 53 overs as the visitors recovered to 411 for six.

Half the side had fallen for 85 when they launched a partnership which comfortably surpassed the county’s sixth-wicket record in meetings with Worcestershire.

Taylor, as he has done so often, rectified an early collapse with a brilliant 137 after going in at 50 for four.

Only last year he made a hundred from 23 for four against Essex and another from 52 for five against Northamptonshire.

Snell continued his fine form since deputising for Steve Adshead and then retaining his place on merit.

The six-foot wicketkeeper made 65 and 53 in his first two innings of the season but this was new territory as he reached a maiden century from 179 balls. At the close he was unbeaten with 127 after hitting 19 fours.

This is only his seventh championship match since making his county debut in 2005 but he had the grit and determination to hold off Worcestershire’s buoyant seam attack on a lively, two-paced pitch.

Simon Jones continued his rehabilitation by building on a personal-best one-day return of 5-32 in the Friends Provident Trophy win over Hampshire on Sunday.

The former England bowler fired out the openers in eight balls – Grant Hodnett fending to gully and Craig Spearman jabbing to short leg.

Disconcerting bounce consistently bothered the batsmen and third seamer Gareth Andrew had Hamish Marshall caught behind before new-ball bowler Steve Magoffin took two wickets in a second spell.

The Australian knocked out Marcus North’s off stump and cut one back to have Alex Gidman caught behind.

Jones finished with 2-78 from 19 overs in his first full day’s championship cricket this season, but Worcestershire lost their grip when Taylor and Snell added 124 when batting through the afternoon session.

Taylor became increasingly adventurous, cutting paceman Richard Jones over the fence before taking three sixes off Gareth Batty. He also hit 17 fours in nearly four hours before thin-edging Gareth Batty to wicketkeeper Steven Davies.

But that provided scant reprieve for Worcestershire. Jones and Magoffin made little impact with the new ball as Mark Hardinges (66 not out) completed a 43-ball 50 in an unbroken stand of 104 with Snell.