Marshall passes landmark to help set target
20 May 2015
Another day of ebb and flow at the Bristol County Ground, with Gloucestershire rallying from a position where they were only 39 ahead with four wickets down in their second innings to one where an exciting finish is in prospect on the final afternoon.
The key stand was a fifth wicket partnership of 134 in 38 overs between Hamish Marshall (83) and Geraint Jones (55), Marshall passing 13,000 first class runs in the process.
At stumps - Norwell having been dropped by Denly in the penultimate over - Gloucestershire had reached 282-9, a lead of 240.
Listen to Hamish Marshall's close of play thoughts here...
Gloucestershire would have wanted to bat all day once they had wrapped up Kent's first innings, and it was appropriate that Liam Norwell took the one outstanding wicket, Riley top edging a fourth catch of the innings to Gareth Roderick. Norwell finished with 4-44, and the lead, at 42, looked manageable.
Dent and Roderick then set out to erase the deficit, the Gloucestershire 'keeper cracking two boundaries off Coles in the first over. There were scares too, however, Dent in particular surviving a big appeal for a catch by Billings off Coles in the seventh over.
For the sixth time in 10 Championship innings this summer, the opening stand got beyond 50 before Dent was removed by the canny Stevens, trying to leave a ball that was too close to him and playing on for 22.
For an hour either side of lunch, Kent then threatened to run through the Gloucestershire card. Cockbain edged to Billings in the last over before lunch, Handscomb chased a wide ball from Thomas when he'd made only five - another victim for Billings - and Roderick fell to a fine slip catch by Stevens off Thomas for 47. Four wickets had gone down for 22, and the lead was only 39.
With Noema-Barnett the only recognised batsman to come, a lot then depended on Hamish Marshall and captain Geraint Jones, who announced his arrival by twice driving Thomas to the cover boundary in an eventful over in which he also survived an appeal for a catch down the leg side.
It was surprising that Kent captain Sam Northeast persisted with an all seam attack for 25 overs whilst the pair added 84 runs before off spinner Riley was introduced, the pick of Marshall's seven boundaries in an 84 ball half century being through the covers off Haggett.
As tea approached, Marshall was confident enough to have played some deft shots off the back foot, twice deliberately steering Stevens to the third man boundary.
The popular Kiwi continued to take the major share of the strike as the stand with his skipper put Gloucestershire in a position to dictate the game until Marshall disappointingly chopped Coles into the hands of Cowdrey in the gully for 83.
As it had earlier in the day, one wicket then sparked a clatter of others. Noema-Barnett holed out to Haggett off Coles without scoring and Jones, who completed his own half century with six fours, was lbw playing back to Thomas for 55. Thoughts of setting a target well above 250 were put on hold for the time being.
At 221-7, Miles and Payne were left with to negotiate 20 overs before the close. They'd almost made it to the second new ball when Payne mistimed a drive straight to Kent captain Sam Northeast at mid off for 15. Miles then edged Stevens to Riley at slip for 22, and it was left for Norwell and Matt Taylor to see out the day with the game finely balanced.
