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Swing is the king as bowlers hold sway at College Ground

20 July 2016

The bowlers of promotion hopefuls Gloucestershire and Leicestershire dominated an eventful opening day of the Championship match between the teams in muggy conditions at the Brewin Dolphin Cheltenham Festival.

Leicestershire, having asked Gloucestershire to bat without a toss, dismissed their hosts for 183 in mid afternoon. Gloucestershire already has two wickets by tea and added three more in the final session before the day's longest stand between Angus Robson and Ned Eckersley saw Leicestershire to the close at 122-5, 61 runs in arrears.

Listen to the close of play thoughts of Michael Klinger here...

The story of the day began even before play started, with Gloucestershire revealing that captain and wicket keeper Gareth Roderick would need an operation on a finger which he injured in Sunday's Nat West T20 Blast win over Essex. It meant Chris Dent would take the gloves and Will Tavare would replace Roderick at the top of the order.

Leicestershire captain Mark Cosgrove had no hesitation in taking up the option to bowl first, and his reading of the conditions proved spot-on as all the batsmen struggled to cope, a point emphasised by how the wickets were shared out. This wasn't a tale of one exceptional spell in each innings.

Dent edged McKay to Leicestershire wicket keeper O'Brien in the first over of the match, and by the time Will Tavare, in his first appearance of the summer, saw the ball fly to Cosgrove at second slip in Richard Jones' second over, it was clear runs were going to be at a premium.

It was a situation where Michael Klinger's resolve had proved an asset before, but here even he proved fallible, cutting a ball from Raine that appeared to climb more than he thought and Cosgrove taking a second catch. His tenacity in making 25 in an a quarter told you everything about conditions in the middle.

By lunch, Hamish Marshall (19) had been bowled by Raine, and it was Benny Howell - recalled in place of Kieran Noema-Barnett - and Jack Taylor who had to try and give the innings some substance.

Their stand of 53 was the highest of the day, and it certainly ended earlier than Howell thought it should have done judging by his rapid appearance in front of the team analyst's computer.

He'd made 27 when umpire Michael Gough had adjudged him to be lbw to Raine, and his departure was the cue for Taylor to counter attack with greater aggression, although the inside edge which brought up his half century from 59 balls and with six boundaries typified the troubles of all his team mates.

He, like Marshall, was bowled through the gate shortly afterwards for 53, and with Miles unable to deal with a short ball from Jones and Neil Dexter accounting for Payne and Norwell, Gloucestershire's innings had lasted less than 50 overs.

It left Leicestershire an awkward session to see out before tea, made more difficult after a single delivery as Payne immediately found the swing prevalent earlier in day to get an lbw decision against Paul Horton.

Liam Norwell also removed Neil Dexter for 15 before the interval, and a cluth of wickets also went after the resumption, Josh Shaw taking two as Cosgrove was caught behind by Dent and then Hamish Marshall clung on to a brilliant one handed catch as Pettini tried a pull to mid wicket.

Another lbw lbw given by Michael Gough - this time answering David Payne's appeal against Niall O'Brien - left Leicestershire at 86-5, but Ned Eckersley kept the patient Angus Robson company for more than an hour until the close in a 36 run partnership. It may not sound a lot but it ensured the day, for all it's variables, ended balanced on a knife edge.

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