Marchant de Lange's all-round brilliance propelled Gloucestershire to a spirited fightback on the opening day of their Vitality County Championship Second Division clash against Glamorgan at Cheltenham.
The South African all-rounder's unbeaten 46 and record-breaking 75-run stand with Ajeet Singh Dale rescued Gloucestershire from a precarious 88 for 8 at lunch to a respectable 179 all out. De Lange then returned with the ball to claim 2 for 21, leaving Glamorgan trailing by 46 runs with three first-innings wickets remaining.
Timm van der Gugten was the star performer for Glamorgan, claiming season-best figures of 5 for 59. However, his efforts were matched by Gloucestershire's Beau Webster, who produced a stunning three-wicket burst in 12 balls.
Kiran Carlson top-scored for Glamorgan with 37, but the Welsh county still faces an uphill battle to avoid defeat.
Gloucestershire's batting woes continued after their heavy defeat to Yorkshire earlier in the week. Cameron Bancroft, Ollie Price, Ben Charlesworth, and Graeme van Buuren all fell cheaply, leaving the home side reeling at 49 for 5.
Miles Hammond and Webster provided a brief respite, adding 36 for the sixth wicket. But van der Gugten's return triggered a collapse, removing Hammond and Webster in quick succession.
Marnus Labuschagne's introduction with the ball gave Gloucestershire a glimmer of hope, but Matt Taylor's dismissal left them on the brink of disaster.
However, de Lange and Singh Dale had other ideas. The last wicket pair unleashed a flurry of boundaries, posting a quickfire 50 in 47 balls to give Glamorgan's bowlers a headache.
Singh Dale eventually departed for 32, but de Lange remained unbeaten on 46, his aggressive approach lifting the spirits of the Gloucestershire crowd.
Buoyed by their lower order's heroics, Gloucestershire kept plugging away with the ball. Taylor had Eddie Byrom caught at mid-on, Akhter claimed the prized wicket of Labuschagne, and de Lange induced Billy Root to edge behind.
Gloucestershire then passed up an opportunity to dismiss Carlson on 11, but Webster made amends by removing Northeast and Cooke in quick succession.
De Lange struck a crucial blow shortly before the close, persuading Carlson to hook a delivery straight to Hammond at deep fine leg. Glamorgan still trail by 46 runs, but Gloucestershire will be confident of completing a victory on day two.
Tags: #Cricket, #VitalityCountyChampionship, #Gloucestershire, #Glamorgan, #MarchantdeLange
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Burgess Century Leads Warwickshire Fightback Against Somerset
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