Leicestershire take lead into final day
1 May 2021
Chris Wright's career-best 7 for 53 gave Leicestershire a chance to press for a first victory of the season as they took a lead of 271 over Gloucestershire by the end of day three.
Wright almost single-handedly bowled the hosts out for 275 at Bristol, to take a first-innings lead of 146, before his side's batsmen made 125 for 3 by the close.
It was a 14th first-class five-for for Wright, who turns 36 later this summer and is in the final year of his contract. His four wickets on the second evening brought about a collapse of 5 for 22 that put Leicestershire on top and he added three more on the third day. But the resistance started by Tom Smith and George Hankins on day two continued as Gloucestershire lasted another 38 overs.
Resuming 176 for 6 needing another 96 to save the follow-on, Gloucestershire lost Hankins in the eighth over of the morning, lbw to Wright when he appeared to be outside the line of off stump. Hankins' slow trudge off suggested bat was involved too but he went for 37. The wicket gave Wright a third five-wicket bag for Leicestershire and ended a stand of 73 for the sixth wicket.
Wright thought he'd struck again almost immediately as he bowled Dan Worrall for 1 only to have overstepped. Worrall only made 10 more before lazily dragging a wide ball from Callum Parkinson into his stumps.
But Josh Shaw got together to form another stand with Smith. He struck Parkinson sweetly over mid-off for six and clipped Wright for three through midwicket to save the follow-on and he went on to make an unbeaten 41 - one shy of his career-best but a new high for Gloucestershire.
Smith survived, a little awkwardly at times, for 130 deliveries and his 47 that began on the second evening was a vital innings to give his second a second batting point and take more time out of the game. Rain delayed the start of the afternoon but Wright trapped Smith and No. 11 Dom Goodman to complete his haul and leave Leicestershire 53 overs to build their lead.
More rain and bad light took out some of those and they were 77 for 3 before Rishi Patel and Lewis Hill saw them to the close.
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