Gloucestershire v Nottinghamshire: Scores and match report from County Championship Division Two

Match scores (Bristol): Close of play day three

Gloucestershire drew with Nottinghamshire

Gloucestershire 1st inns: 303 (Roderick 96, Miles 47; Gurney 3-68, Wood 3-85)

Gloucestershire 2nd inns: 254-5 (van Buuren 88*, Dent 71; Fletcher 2-58, Gurney 2-62)

Nottinghamshire 1st inns: 535-8 dec (Patel 257no, Pujara 67; Miles 2-88)

Day four report 

Nottinghamshire's prospects of opening a commanding lead at the top of the Specsavers County Championship Second Division table were dealt a blow by Gloucestershire's Graeme van Buuren at Bristol. 

The South African registered a match-saving 88 not out and reached 4,000 first-class runs in the process as Gloucestershire batted throughout the final day to post 254 for five in their second innings and secure a notable draw. 

Having deployed every weapon within his extensive armoury to little avail, Nottinghamshire captain Chris Read had no option but to shake hands at 5.23pm, Gloucestershire claiming nine points and the visitors 11. 

Seeking a fifth win in seven outings this summer, the east Midlands county looked set to increase their advantage over nearest rivals Kent and Worcestershire when reducing Gloucestershire to 35 for three shortly following the resumption. 

Still trailing the unbeaten leaders by 197 with seven second-innings wickets standing, the home side found themselves lodged firmly between a rock and a hard place. 

Yet that was as close as Nottinghamshire came to forcing a result, frustrated as they were thereafter by notable contributions from Chris Dent, van Buuren and Phil Mustard. 

Determined to redress the balance after conceding a first-innings deficit of 232 against arguably the best team in the division, Gloucestershire applied themselves diligently with the bat to at least make partial amends for the humiliating innings defeat sustained at Trent Bridge last month. 

More than any other player, van Buuren proved an obstacle to Nottinghamshire ambition, the diminutive all-rounder summoning defiance aplenty in an admirably patient innings. 

He batted for five hours, faced 242 balls, accrued nine fours and a six and shared in restorative stands of 91 and 92 with Dent and Mustard for the fourth and fifth wickets respectively to steer his team to safety. 

Having made 50 from 170 balls and withstood a stern examination from eight different bowlers, a series of attacking fields and the second new ball, he refused to drop his guard and saw the job through to the end, turning down the chance to pursue three figures in the interests of the team.

Dent will no doubt be kicking himself after missing out on a hundred that appeared to be his for the asking. The left-handed opener had done the hard work in raising 71 from 147 balls when he inexplicably played across the line to a straight one from Brett Hutton and was given out lbw. 

Any thoughts Nottinghamshire's bowlers might have harboured of running through the lower middle order and tail were effectively sabotaged by van Buuren and Mustard, who remained at large for 32 overs to frustrate the visitors. 

Mustard clipped Luke Fletcher to Jake Libby at point for 39 to suggest the prospect of an exciting climax, but van Buuren and Jack Taylor closed the door on any such notion, staging an unbroken partnership of 36 for the sixth wicket. 

Resuming on 31 for one, Gloucestershire's prospects of saving the game appeared rather less sanguine when Harry Gurney struck twice in the space of as many overs from the Bristol Pavilion end, dismissing Will Tavare and Gareth Roderick lbw to ramp up the pressure on the home side. 

But once the sun came out and an already slow pitch, which offered little or no encouragement to the bowlers, flattened out, the task of removing the last seven wickets became increasingly difficult.    

Day three report

Samit Patel delivered an object lesson in concentration to post a hugely impressive career-best first-class score and put Second Division leaders Nottinghamshire firmly in charge on the third day of the Specsavers County Championship match against Gloucestershire at the Brightside Ground in Bristol.

The 32-year-old former England all-rounder combined patience and graft in an innings of 257 not out that spanned more than eight hours as the visitors made a mammoth 535 for eight declared to establish a commanding first-innings lead of 232.

Gloucestershire reached the close on 30 for one in their second innings, to trail by 202, and will have to apply themselves with the bat if they are to stave off defeat on the final day.

Unbeaten in the four-day format so far this season, Nottinghamshire worked hard to wrestle control of a contest that had been pretty much even up to its halfway point.

Demonstrating a clear understanding of what was required on a typically slow Bristol pitch, Patel settled in for the long haul to eclipse his previous highest first-class score of 256, made against Durham MCCU at Trent Bridge in 2013.

Resuming on 78 not out, he registered his first three-figure Championship haul of the season before lunch, completed a double century during the afternoon session and then opened his shoulders to move serenely to a landmark total after tea.

Unable to time the ball as he would have liked and seldom fluent, Patel's innings was scarcely a thing of beauty. Yet a sparse County Ground audience, appreciating his diligence and application in trying circumstances, rose as one to acknowledge his achievement when he pushed a delivery from David Payne to mid-on for a single to reach 257 and prompt the declaration.

Although several of his fellow batsmen made starts and failed to go on to post meaningful totals, they nevertheless afforded him the support he needed to dominate proceedings.

Having helped stage a stand of 146 for the third wicket with Cheteshwar Pujara on day two, Patel dominated partnerships of 54, 46, 83 and 95 with Michael Lumb, Riki Wessels, Chris Read and Luke Wood for the fifth, sixth, seventh and ninth wickets respectively.

Intent upon containment first and foremost, Gloucestershire's bowlers in the main adhered to the tenets of line and length before tiring beneath the afternoon sun and in the face of Patel's relentless compilation.

Craig Miles removed nightwatchman Luke Fletcher without scoring and Chris Liddle produced a superb delivery to pin Lumb lbw during a morning session which yielded 92 runs.

Undone by Jack Taylor's off spin, Wessels departed in similar fashion shortly after lunch and Kieran Noema-Barnett summoned an in-swinger to bowl the progressive Read for 40 as the home side threatened a fightback.

But Patel, who raised 100 from 224 balls and faced a further 153 deliveries in making a double hundred, pressed down on the accelerator during the final session to confirm supremacy.

In all, he batted for eight hours and 16 minutes, negotiating 452 balls and accruing 23 fours and a six. He offered one glimmer of a chance on 186, Payne failing to take a tough catch on the long-on boundary.

Patel's long sojourn was lent additional perspective when Cameron Bancroft was trapped lbw for two, going half forward to his second ball from Fletcher in the very first over.

Thereafter, Bristolians Chris Dent and Will Tavare served up defiance aplenty to survive a tricky 10-over spell in failing light and afford Gloucestershire a little renewed hope.

Day two report

Nottinghamshire's Samit Patel and Cheteshwar Pujara batted the Division Two leaders into a positive position on the second day of their Specsavers County Championship game against Gloucestershire in Bristol.

The pair added 146 for the third wicket in 54.1 overs to leave the promotion favourites 82 runs behind their hosts with seven first innings wickets in hand.

On a wicket that appears pretty lifeless, it will still take a special effort from one of the two sides to win the game. However, it is very much advantage Nottinghamshire at the halfway stage.

Just as the sides were evenly matched on day one, so the first session on day two finished with honours just about even.

Resuming their first innings on 256 for seven, Gloucestershire were hoping that Gareth Roderick would help himself to a century after batting so well on Friday.

However, the 25-year-old wicket keeper/batsman was still four runs short of three figures when Luke Wood found a way through his defence at 280 for eight.

Roderick's innings lasted just under five hours and not only included 10 boundaries off 215 balls, but helped Gloucestershire move towards 300.

Although David Payne departed first ball, in exactly the same fashion, Wood missed out on a possible hat-trick as Chris Liddle survived his first ball and went on to feature in a 30-run partnership with Craig Miles.

Miles (47) was eventually trapped lbw by Patel as Notts wrapped up the Gloucestershire innings at 303.

Having reached 32 for 0 at lunch, Nottinghamshire's reply gathered momentum throughout the day on a relatively lifeless Bristol wicket.

They did lose Steven Mullaney (38) and fellow opener Jake Libby (30) in successive overs at 72 for one and 74 for two, but Patel and Pujara not only stabilised the early afternoon wobble but successfully built a third-wicket partnership of real substance.

The pair took the score to 125 for two off 48 overs at tea and progressed nicely thereafter, with Patel passing 50 off 120 balls with five fours.

There were no risks taken. It was a case of patting back the decent deliveries, of which there were many from Graeme van Buuren in particular, and punishing the poor balls, of which there were very few.

Pujara impressed. The 29-year-old Indian, who helped himself to a century when the sides met at Trent Bridge late last month, averages over 50 in Test cricket and has a first-class average of just under 60.

He eased his way to 50 off 132 balls with seven fours, and never once looked in trouble until he carelessly drove a wide half-volley from Jack Taylor to a very grateful Kieran Noema-Barnett at extra cover. Notts finished the day on 221 for three.

Day one report

Gareth Roderick marked his first appearance of the season for Gloucestershire with an unbeaten 88 on a hard-fought first day of the Specsavers County Championship match with Nottinghamshire at Bristol.

The 25-year-old South African, consigned to the second XI by an early-season illness, shared stands of 83 with Phil Mustard (37) and 65 with Kieran Noema-Barnett (35) as his side recovered from 77 for four to close on 256 for seven.

There were three wickets for Harry Gurney and two for Brett Hutton as the Notts attack maintained a disciplined line and length for much of a tough day on an unhelpful pitch.

Roderick is Gloucestershire's four-day captain, but Mustard continued in the role he had adopted for the first four Championship fixtures, although he is expected to hand over the wicketkeeper's gloves.

The hosts were able to name left-arm seamer David Payne in their line-up for the first time since a hernia operation, while the Second Division leaders were unchanged from their drawn game against Derbyshire.

Cameron Bancroft and Chris Dent gave Gloucestershire a solid start after Notts had exercised their right to field first, taking the total to 45 before Dent fell lbw for 27, pushing forward to left-arm seamer Gurney.

It looked like being the home side's morning as Bancroft, who had survived a confident lbw shout by Luke Fletcher off the second ball of the day, settled to his task and batted through the morning session.

But the final delivery before lunch saw Will Tavare, on seven, pinned leg-before by a toe-crushing yorker from Fletcher.

The lunch total was 67 for two and the match looked to be swinging the visitors' way when Hutton dismissed Bancroft (37) and Graeme van Buuren with successive deliveries soon after lunch. The Australian edged a catch behind, while van Buuren was bowled off an inside edge.

But Roderick responded impressively. He was 47 not out at tea, having added 82 with Mustard, and the scoreboard read 159 for four.

Both batsmen had looked untroubled. But without addition to his tea score Mustard feathered an outswinger from Gurney through to Chris Read to make it 160 for five.

Jack Taylor attempted to play in his usual positive manner, but had made only five when aiming an expansive shot at Luke Wood and directing a straightforward catch to point.

The previous delivery had seen Roderick reach a chanceless half-century off 115 balls, with 5 fours, and he continued to show exemplary technique when joined by Noema-Barnett in the late afternoon sunshine.

The powerful Noema-Barnett hit successive boundaries off Samit Patel's fifth over and looked in good form himself as the stand developed into a meaningful one.

But with the total on 232, Noema-Barnett was undone by a full, swinging delivery from Gurney, which beat his defensive shot and scattered the stumps.

By the close Roderick had faced 194 balls and hit nine fours in an immensely valuable first Championship knock of the summer.