A century from Will Tavare and an unbeaten 88 from Will Gidman took Gloucestershire to 304 for six on the opening day of the LV= County Championship Division Two match against Derbyshire.
Tavare continued his impressive debut season in county cricket with 17 fours and two sixes in his 269-ball innings of 135, while Gidman also has a hundred in his sights after striking 14 boundaries.
The first two sessions of the day were evenly contested, but Tavare and Gidman upped the tempo after tea and had put on 175 in 45 overs for the fifth wicket before the former was caught behind off Tom Taylor.
Teenage paceman Taylor also accounted for Alex Gidman and Benny Howell as he finished as Derbyshire’s most successful bowler with 3-43 from 16 overs, while Tony Palladino also bowled well in taking 2-41 from 22.
After Gloucestershire captain Michael Klinger won the toss, the hosts had to bat with patience and discipline in the morning session against some excellent new-ball bowling from Palladino and Mark Footitt.
It’s a beautiful morning here at the @brewindolphin Cheltenham Cricket Festival – are you coming? pic.twitter.com/pQvJ5qvvhU
— Gloucestershire CCC (@Gloscricket) July 14, 2014
Klinger, making his return after five weeks out with a broken toe, departed for two in the fifth over when Billy Godleman held a low catch at extra-cover off Footitt.
It became 34 for two when Taylor generated extra bounce from a delivery which found the edge of Alex Gidman’s bat and was well held by the diving Wes Durston at second slip.
Tavare and Hamish Marshall took the score on to 77 for two off 32 overs at lunch, and the latter looked in excellent form until he shouldered arms to a delivery from Palladino and was out lbw, having struck six fours in his 56-ball innings of 45.
Palladino won another lbw verdict six overs later, this time against Ian Cockbain, and Gloucestershire appeared to be in a spot of trouble at 118 for four.
Tavare advanced to a patient half-century from 133 balls, but then began to play with more freedom against an attack that was starting to lose its earlier control.
Tavare pulled slow left-armer David Wainwright for six over midwicket before tea and reached his hundred from the fourth delivery after the interval in identical fashion.
STUMPS: @Gloscricket reach 304-6 at stumps on Day One. Gidman 88*, Tavare 135; Tom Taylor 3-43 #GLOvDER
— Derbyshire CCC (@DerbyshireCCC) July 14, 2014
His third championship century of the season came from 202 deliveries and included 11 fours as well as the two sixes.
Will Gidman brought up his 93-ball fifty with a cover-driven boundary off the back foot, and he greeted the arrival of the second new cherry by cutting Footitt for three fours in one over.
Gidman enjoyed a slice of luck on 65 when Taylor missed a low chance at midwicket off Footitt, but otherwise batted with the confidence gained from the hundred he scored at the Ageas Bowl in Gloucestershire’s last four-day outing.
Derbyshire finally had another wicket to celebrate in the 89th over when Tavare edged a Taylor delivery to wicketkeeper Gareth Cross, and the 24-year-old nephew of former England batsman Chris Tavare walked off to a standing ovation from the Cheltenham crowd.
Taylor struck again when Howell played on to depart for four, but Gidman and Adam Rouse batted out the last three overs to bring an intriguing day’s play to a close.
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