Resilient Marshall holds up Derbyshire on day 3
28 April 2015
Gloucestershire still have a long way to go if they are to salvage a draw from their first home Championship match of the season against Derbyshire. Despite a fourth consecutive half century from Gareth Roderick, and good support from Will Tavare in particular, the hefty first innings deficit had not been erased by stumps on the 3rd day.
At the close, Gloucestershire had reached 253-6, still 17 behind. Crucially too, a sixth wicket stand of 82 between Kieran Noema-Barnett and Hamish Marshall was broken in the final over by Mark Footitt. Marshall is 48 not out overnight.
The morning began with, in essence, the Derbyshire first innings needing to end to move the match to the next phase. Gloucestershire had eight overs to try and secure the final bowling bonus point, but it was beyond that when Hosein, having completed a maiden first class fifty, top edged Liam Norwell to Gareth Roderick for 61. Derbyshire captain Wayne Madsen declared immediately on 545-9, a first innings lead of 270.
With so much ground to be made up, Gloucestershire could not rely solely on occupying the crease, although that was all that initially concerned Dent and Tavare. Dent faced every ball of Footitt's first four overs with the new ball, but got tucked up by the last one and Hosein gleefully pouched the catch.
His departure brought in Gareth Roderick who, if not quite in the manner of Martin Guptill on Monday, was not prepared to get bogged down and ultra defensive. Derbyshire had enough runs in the bank to attack, which either side of lunch allowed Roderick to again drive and cut anything off line or length.
A century stand was accumulated between the in-form wicketkeeper and the more patient Tavare in 22 overs, the increasingly docile nature of the pitch evident by Hosein choosing to stand up to medium pacer Hughes.
Roderick's tenth boundary, driven straight off Taylor towards the pavilion, took his run of successive fifties to four, but the bowler had his revenge after switching ends, Roderick misjudging the length of a straight ball, and being bowled for 76.
His dismissal was all the more important as Derbyshire had already removed Tavare - who shouldered arms to Palladino and was adjudged LBW for 45 - and Handscomb, the Australian again getting into double figures before being caught behind in Palladino's same spell before tea.
It left to Hamish Marshall and Geraint Jones to hold the innings together in the final session, which Gloucestershire started with six wickets in hand and needing 114 to make Derbyshire bat again.
Jones had already been dropped when the persevering Footitt, one of the hardest working bowlers in the Championship last season, drew an edge which was well caught by Guptill at second slip with 99 still required.
Noema-Barnett and Marshall then batted watchfully until the second new ball was taken with three overs of the day remaining and Footitt, returning for a final burst, saw Guptill cling to a fine catch at leg gully in a trap set for the purpose.
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