Dent's declaration made possible by personal triumph
31 August 2018
Only once previously in his career has Chris Dent made a Championship double hundred. It was in the last match of the 2015 season, when his 268 against Glamorgan smashed his previous best score.
Nearly three years on, another unbeaten double century - this time 214* - enabled him, now as Gloucestershire captain, to set Leicestershire a mammoth victory target of 494 in sunny conditions at the Brightside Ground.
Starting the day on 152-1, Dent and James Bracey (43) slowly increased the run rate until Bracey was caught behind by Eckersley off Dexter, but the real gear change came after lunch. Leicestershire declined the chance to take the second new ball, and against the old one Dent and Benny Howell took 116 runs off Klein and Parkinson in 17 overs, Dent going from 100-200 in only 83 balls, fewer than half the number he took to reach his hundred.
Howell's dismissal for 56, and that of Jack Taylor two balls later, prompted Dent to walk off having converted his fourth score above fifty of the season into a match changing one.
It left Leicestershire nine overs plus four sessions to make 494 to win, but Dearden and Ackermann departed before tea and four more wickets fell in the final session as Leicestershire closed on 117-6.
Watch Chris Dent's thoughts on his innings and the match position here:
CLOSE OF PLAY REACTION: Skipper Chris Dent reflects on his 214* as @Gloscricket dominate day 3 against @leicsccc pic.twitter.com/4f30BlkB84
— Gloucestershire CCC (@Gloscricket) 31 August 2018
Gloucestershire head coach Richard Dawson frequently talks about playing time in four day cricket, and here his team demonstrated beautifully how to methodically build an impregnable position.
With a lead of 243 at the start of play there was no pressure from the clock, and it allowed skipper Chris Dent and James Bracey to play carefully in the first hour knowing that Leicestershire wouldn't have a second new ball available until after lunch.
They added 39 runs in that time with little to encourage the bowlers, Bracey playing almost the only false stroke as a leading edge dropped short of Griffiths in his follow through.
The catalyst for the acceleration that followed appeared to be three boundaries in four balls off Ben Raine, two of them to Dent, who then steered spinner Parkinson to deep cover to bring up the hundred partnership. It had been increasingly serene progress, only for Bracey to miss out on a second fifty in the match when pushing at Dexter and 'keeper Eckersley doing the rest.
His dismissal for 43 came with Dent short of his century, but a cleanly struck straight six off Parkinson ended the skipper's wait for a hundred, reaching three figures off 198 balls with 15 fours. Third wicket partner Benny Howell also sent Parkinson over the boundary before lunch, and a sample of opinon at the interval suggested a lead of 450 might be enough to prompt a declaration.
What those supporters hadn't banked on was Gloucestershire's scoring rate during the afternoon session. Leicestershire skipper Paul Horton opted not to take the new ball, instead giving left arm spinner Parkinson an extended spell at one end and introducing the bustling Dieter Klein at the other. It was a combination much to the liking of Dent and Howell, who capitalised on Klein's inacurracy in both length and line to pummel 67 runs off the South African from the Pavilion end.
Their century stand - the third of the innings - took only 20 overs, Howell completing his third fifty of the season from 79 balls with his seventh boundary, and doing much as he pleased Dent went past the 165 he made against Leicestershire two seasons ago to complete a memorable double hundred with 24 fours and two sixes.
The partnership had been worth 183 at almost a run a ball when Howell was lbw for 56, trying to work Ackermann to fine leg. Jack Taylor's dismissal two balls later prompted Dent to decide a target of 494 was sufficient with a day and 41 overs to bowl Leicestershire out, Gloucestershire having passed 400 in the Championship for the first time this season.
Leicestershire had nine overs to negotiate until tea, but even in that short spell they lost opener Dearden - smartly caught by Roderick diving in front of first slip off Miles - and Ackermann, who floated Payne gently to Higgins at mid off.
Any thought of a realistic run chase started to ebb away once Miles trapped Paul Horton in his crease in the first over after tea, and Ryan Higgins even provoked thoughts of a possible three day win with the swift dismissal of Dexter, caught at slip, and Eckersley, whose departure to the tenth lbw decision of the match left Leicestershire teetering at 52-5.
Left handers Mark Cosgrove and Ben Raine almost saw them to stumps with some late resistance, but having added 60 runs Gloucestershire had the bonus of seeing Raine drive airily at Miles and find the safe hands of Matt Taylor in the penultmate over. A rich day for Gloucestershire had the cherry on the cake, and it left them needing only four wickets on the final day to seal a first Brightside Ground victory since they beat the same opponents last season.
